Seven Heroes or Warriors Killing Abhimanya, Son of Arjuna

Description

Abhimanyu (son of Arjuna and Subhadra, nephew of Krishna) is a tragic figure from the epic Mahabharata (The Great History of the Descendants of Bharat). As a fetus in his mother’s womb he hears how to penetrate the Chakravyuha, a circular pattern of troops, from his father Arjuna who is talking with his mother Subhadra. Noticing that Subhadra is asleep, Arjuna stops speaking and does not explain to her how to escape after attacking it. Abhimanyu thus only has partial knowledge. Here he is depicted as surrounded in the Chakravyuha and about to be killed.

Provenance

William E. Ward [1922-2004], Solon, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?-2003); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2003-)

Seven Heroes or Warriors Killing Abhimanya, Son of Arjuna

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c. 1890

Accession Number

2003.144

Medium

Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper

Dimensions

Secondary Support: 49.9 x 30 cm (19 5/8 x 11 13/16 in.); Painting only: 45.6 x 27.7 cm (17 15/16 x 10 7/8 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward