Balarama Fighting a Demoness, from a Bhagavata Purana

Object Details

• Court

  Kangra Court

• School/Tradition

  Pahari school

• Provenance

  ?-1981

  Joseph H. Hirshhorn (1899-1981), method of acquisition unknown [1]

  1981-1986

  The Estate of Joseph H. Hirshhorn

  1986-1988

  Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, bequest of Joseph H. Hirshhorn [2]

  From 1988

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, transfer from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See “Extract of the Minutes of the HMSG [Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden] Board of Trustees,” dated May 22, 1985, pp. 5-10, copy in object file. The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Board of Trustees unanimously approved the transfer this object to another Smithsonian “bureaux.”

  See also memo titled “Objects for Deaccessioning and Transfer to Freer/Sackler,” from the Curator, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, thru the Director, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, to Doug Robinson, dated January 2, 1987, copy in object file.

  Joseph Herman Hirshhorn (1899-1981) was a financier, philanthropist, and well-known collector of modern art whose gift to the nation of nearly 6,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and mixed media pieces established his namesake museum on the National Mall. The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has been open to the public since October 4, 1974.

  [2] See note 1.

  See also “Custody Receipt,” dated October 23, 1987, copy in object file. The object was transferred from Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery for acquisition consideration on October 23, 1987.

  [3] See Arthur M. Sackler, “Acquisition Consideration Form,” approval date is unknown (ca. March-April 1988), copy in object file.

  Research updated October 3, 2023

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Joseph H. Hirshhorn (1899-1981)

  Estate of Joseph H. Hirshhorn

  Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

• Origin

  Kangra, Himachal Pradesh state, Punjab Hills, India

• Credit Line

  Transfer from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; Bequest of Joseph H. Hirshhorn to the Smithsonian Institution, 1981

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1810s, 1820s

• Name

  Estate of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Hirshhorn, Joseph H.

• Place

  Punjab Hills, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh state, India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Krishna, Princess, Palace, Demon, Balarama, Bhagavata Purana

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians, Hindus

• Object Type

  Paintings