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VMFA is home to one of America’s premier collections of Greater Indian and Himalayan art, featuring spectacular examples of sculpture, paintings, architecture, textiles, and decorative art.
Search This CollectionThis collection showcases the diversity of regional cultures and religious traditions that have defined the Indian subcontinent’s artistic production over more than 3000 years. From sublime sculptures and stunning paintings, to opulent textiles and glittering decorative arts, it is filled with masterpieces that both delight and educate.
The arts of Nepal and Tibet are represented through an impressive assemblage of paintings, sculptures, book arts, textiles, and ritual objects spanning nearly eight centuries. Most of these artworks relate to the region’s dominant religious traditions, Buddhism and Hinduism, both of which came to the Himalayas from India.
An avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu, Krishna descended to Earth to kill the evil king Kansa. Indian literature and art is filled with depictions of his mischievous youth, heroic encounters with demons, and romantic dalliances that are metaphors for his devotees’ emotional relationships with God. Blue skinned, usually in a saffron-colored loincloth and a peacock-feather crown, the young lord often carries a flute that, when played, enchants all who hear it.
An avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu, Krishna descended to Earth to kill the evil king Kansa. Indian literature and art is filled with depictions of his mischievous youth, heroic encounters with demons, and romantic dalliances that are metaphors for his devotees’ emotional relationships with God. Blue skinned, usually in a saffron-colored loincloth and a peacock-feather crown, the young lord often carries a flute that, when played, enchants all who hear it.
Explore Visions of Stately India: The Talegaonkar Collection of Indian Paintings currently on view in the South Asian galleries. The show’s thematic arrangement encourages the viewer to consider images created across periods and places. The exhibition includes illustrations from narrative texts, devotional religious images, paintings considering romantic love, and historical portraits and genre scenes.
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Page from a Harivamsha Series: The Armies of Balarama and Jarasandha Meet in Combat, ca. 1800–1815, Attributed to Purkhu (active ca. 1780–ca. 1820), Punjab Hills, Kangra, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper. Collection of Drs. Shantaram and Sunita Talegaonkar, L2022.10.1 
