Krishna and Pradyumna rescue Arjuna, from a Harivamsha (Lineage of Vishnu) manuscript

The story depicted here, of the Hindu god Krishna’s rescue of the hero Arjuna from the clutches of a master-illusionist demon, was probably a well-known one. The artists—like all good storytellers—had to be creative in telling their version in ways that would resonate with their audiences and hold their attention. Here, they have focused on the dramatic moment where Krishna and his son Pradyumna (at bottom right) are trying to tell apart the actual demon and wounded Arjuna from their body doubles in the sky.

The artists have brought Krishna, Arjuna, and their mythic landscape into the familiar world of the painting’s viewers by setting the scene in the lush Himalayan foothills and dressing figures in local fashions.