Cremation of the demon Putana, from a Krishna-Lilac. 1790 · Study 1984.4

Context from the museum

In the foreground, men of Vraj, the cowherd village where the Hindu god Krishna lived as a child, cut up the oversized corpse of the demon Putana. Already, they carry her forearms and hands to the burning pyre at the upper left. Putana arrived in the form of a wet nurse with secretly poisoned breasts. When she began to feed Krishna, he sucked the life out of her, at which point she resumed her true form. At the right, shocked cowherd women bathe baby Krishna.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

Lila means “divine play” in Sanskrit.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for Cremation of the demon Putana, from a Krishna-Lila is 31.2 cm wide and 20.9 cm high, equivalent to approximately 12.3 × 8.2 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.49:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.07 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 10.4% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 134.4 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Cremation of the demon Putana, from a Krishna-Lila in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 31.2 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?