A Nobleman’s Vision of Shiva and Parvati
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.Emphasizing his ascetic nature, this work depicts the god Shiva sitting with his wife Parvati on a tiger’s skin, while his vehicle (vahana), the bull Nandi, sits below. Shiva holds a three-pronged trishula and a skull cup, suggesting a tantric interpretation for this devotional image. The deity appears infrequently in Pahari artwork, perhaps because there is not an epic narrative associated with him to illustrate. The execution of the figures and of the receding landscape suggests this painting came out of a workshop established by Nainsukh (active ca. 1735–78).
Artwork Details
- Title: A Nobleman’s Vision of Shiva and Parvati
- Date: ca. 1750–75
- Culture: India, Punjab Hills, kingdom of Guler
- Medium: Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 9 9/16 × 6 3/8 in. (24.3 × 16.2 cm)
Sheet: 11 3/4 × 8 3/8 in. (29.8 × 21.3 cm)
Mat: 14 1/4 in. × 18 in. (36.2 × 45.7 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Promised Gift of Steven Kossak, The Kronos Collections
- Object Number: L.2018.44.16
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art