The Hindu god Krishna slays the elephant Kuvalayapida, from a manuscript of the Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Tales of the Lord Vishnu)

Krishna is shown in this painting in an iconic and active manner simultaneously. The structured composition—with figures arranged neatly in the foreground, and Krishna’s erect balanced pose—suggest a sense of calm control as typically seen in devotional images. A second look reveals the unfolding of the story’s action where the elephant demon Kuvalayapida, who had charged repeatedly at Krishna to kill him, was brought to its knees and slain when Krishna wrenched out its tusk. The deity makes the dangerous task of pulling out a raging elephant’s tusk with bare hands—requiring immense force—look effortless.