Mahabharata – Karna
KARNA
Karna, the eldest of the Pandava brothers, the first son of Kunti and son of Surya – the sun god, was given up by his mother at birth. Raised by charioteers, tragedy followed him from an early age and his lifelong loyalty to Duryodhana clouded his judgement on many occasions. He was known for his courage, generosity and righteousness.
In this artwork Karna, the great hero, is covered with gold. His chariot is stuck to the ground in the midst of the battle due to the terrible course. The tension in the figure, the pride in the eyes, the glitter of the armour, the tragically mired chariot: the plastic use of pictorial matter raises the painting from a mere narrative intent to an intense expressive level.
£ 155.00 – £ 680.00
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Mahabharata – Save my Honour
£ 160.00 – £ 770.00 BUYOf all the events in the Pandava’s lives, this must be one of the lowest.
Right after having lost the Kingdom and Draupadi’s dignity at the dice contest the Pandavas went into exile in the forest. Krishna saved her honour, by performing a miracle. He provided her unlimited fabric of her sari to prevent her from being disrobed in public.
The nocturnal setting and the light cutting through the darkness, in this moving artwork, contributes to enhance the drama. Krishna consoles Draupadi promising her that everything will be remedied. The desperate face of the woman right in front of the self-effulgent blue God. King Yudhishthira on the right side is the most afflicted, feeling guilty for the big defeat. The painting is in continuity with the “Pandavas were cheated” artwork.
This is the moment when the idea of war mounts seriously although they continued for another 13 year in exile.
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Mahabharata – Krishna in Indraprastha
£ 160.00 – £ 705.00 BUYBefore Indraprastha became the capital of the Pandava’s kingdom, it was the ancient capital of the Kuru clan of which the Pandavas and Kauravas are a part.
At one point in the epic, the Kurus gave the Pandavas a piece of desert land. It had been abandoned for many years and did not look like a place fit to become a capital city. But the Pandavas with the help of Krishna, hard work, determination and skill transformed this wasteland into a beautiful city that would compete with the beauty of Hastinapura, the capital of the empire.
Krishna called upon the heavenly architects Vishvakarma and Mayadhanava, the top designers during that time to transform it into a city fit for the Pandavas. As you can see in the artwork, the architectural accuracy and sophistication made Indraprastha a unique utopia and the perfect example of how cities should be built. Here we can see, in the foreground Maharaj Yudhishthira showing Lord Krishna the great view from the royal palace, as to let us take part in their glance.
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Mahabharata – In the Tent
£ 155.00 – £ 705.00 BUYThe composition and the distribution of the light recall the expressive language of the Italian Baroque period and the atmosphere is inspired by Caravaggio. The dramatic chiaroscuro charges with solemnity the tragic moment that heralds the death of Abhimanyu, the young champion of the Pandava army.
Coloured figurines of soldiers are deployed on the strategic plan, carefully studied by generals. The sharp dark and light enhances the concept that rationality in war has a very relative control over the outcome of the war, other qualities like wrath, courage, strength, resistance and hate contribute strongly to the fulfilment of the destiny. A dramatic sense of the game between karma – destiny – and free will permeate the scene.