1686 Indian Painting of Krishna Lifting Mount Govardhan Acquired by Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art has added a significant piece to its collection: a 1686 artwork titled "Krishna Lifts Mount Govardhan." This acquisition was made possible through a combination of purchase and a partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection, supported by the Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund. Originating from the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh in Central India, this gum tempera on paper piece comes from a Bhagavata Purana manuscript. It illustrates Krishna persuading the villagers of Braj to stop their offerings to Indra, the king of the gods, leading to Indra's flood. Krishna, depicted with four arms, raises Mount Govardhan to protect the villagers from the rain, while Indra is shown in the upper left corner with his attendants and white elephant. The artwork is cataloged as accession number 2018.134.