Divine Call of Kurukshetra

A richly detailed depiction of Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, at the moment both blow their conches to signal the start of the war - the scene immediately preceding the Bhagavad Gita.

Krishna stands at the front of the chariot in a golden dhoti and jewelled crown with a peacock feather, sounding the Panchajanya, the reins of four white horses held loosely in his other hand. Behind him, Arjuna sounds his own conch, his quiver of arrows visible over one shoulder. Above the chariot flies the red Hanuman standard, which the Mahabharata describes as taking its place on Arjuna's flag for the war.

The chariot itself is worked in elaborate gold - a domed canopy, carved panels, ornamented wheels - with the horses harnessed in matching gold and red. The four horses are shown mid-stride, the only forward movement in an otherwise held scene.

Behind the figures, two armies fill the horizon, rendered as ranks of helmets, spears and banners receding into haze. The upper half of the painting is dominated by storm cloud, parting at the centre where golden light breaks through, and a celestial palace appears faintly within it.

Painted in the classical devotional style - deep detail, warm golds and ochres against grey-blue cloud, with careful attention to ornament, drapery and the play of light across metal.

This is the moment before the Gita. Both armies are drawn up, the field is waiting, and Krishna raises the Panchajanya to his lips.

The painting catches him mid-breath. Arjuna stands behind him on the chariot, blowing his own conch, arrows still in the quiver at his back. Neither of them is fighting yet. They are announcing that it is about to begin.

Look at what the light is doing. The sky is heavy with storm cloud, grey and bruised across the top of the canvas - and then it splits, and gold pours through. High in that break, a celestial palace hangs in the haze, barely there, watching. The heavens have come to see this.

Below, the armies stretch to the horizon on both sides. Hundreds of helmets, spears and banners, painted small and indistinct, so that no individual soldier competes with the two figures at the centre. The four white horses are the only things moving forward.

And the flag. That red banner above the chariot carries Hanuman, who according to the Mahabharata took his place on Arjuna's standard for the duration of the war.

The gold work is the reason this piece holds a room. The chariot, the crowns, the horses' harnesses - every surface is worked in detail, and under warm light it lifts off the canvas.

Handle with clean, dry hands.

Avoid touching the printed surface.

Frame behind glass or acrylic.

Keep away from sunlight, heat, and moisture.

Dust gently with a soft cloth.

Never fold or tightly roll.

Store flat between acid-free sheets.

Avoid water, sprays, adhesives, and harsh chemicals.