Vishva Rajalakshmi Gomata

ca. 1890

Not on view

The iconography of this print emerges in conjunction with the popularization of lithographic images of the Hindu gods; it has no real historic precedent. According to Pinney, such images seem to be related to the growing importance of cow protection groups who were attempting to “rouse Hindu feelings against Christians and Muhammadans on account of the killing of cows”. The cow comes to embody Hindu cosmology; technically 84 gods are shown within the cow’s body, though in this example only 33 appear. This imagery played an important role in the emergence of Hindu nationalism that targeted meat-eating lower casts along with non-Hindu religious and colonial communities. Variations on this iconography were issued by most of the major presses.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Vishva Rajalakshmi Gomata
Date: ca. 1890
Culture: India
Medium: Lithograph
Dimensions: Image: 10 3/8 × 14 3/8 in. (26.4 × 36.5 cm)
Sheet: 11 3/4 × 15 3/4 in. (29.8 × 40 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Purchase, Gift of Mrs. William J. Calhoun, by exchange, 2013
Object Number: 2013.6
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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