Vishwarup Darshan

This is an early, and rare oleograph of “Vishwarup Darshan” by Ravi Varma from the 1910s/20s. The image depicts the moment when Yashoda realises her son Krishna is in fact an avatar of Vishnu, an omniscient form that pervades the entire universe. The story goes that infant Krishna is wrongly accused of eating a bit of dirt. His mother scolds him and he denies it. “Open your mouth,” orders Yashoda. Krishna does as he is told and Yashoda sees in Krishna’s mouth the entire universe, ‘all the stars and planets of space and the distance between them, all the lands and seas of the earth and the life in them; she sees all the days of yesterday and all the days of tomorrow; she sees all ideas and all emotions, all pity and all hope, and the three strands of matter; not a pebble, candle, creature, village or galaxy is missing, including herself and every bit of dirt in its truthful place.”
This oleograph has delicate ornamentation. The shimmer enhances its beauty, making it unique and more valuable. There are small water stains at the bottom, but the piece is otherwise in good condition.