Shree Shanker (Shiva in meditation)
Narottam Narayan Sharma Indian
Not on view
Shiva is depicted here as radiant young man in deep meditation. He wears a double-strand rosary of rudraksha seeds while a cobra affectionately entwines itself around his neck. His hair falls across his shoulders whilst braids are piled up into a conical bun, adorned with a chain of jasmine and a sprig of rudraksha leaves. The goddess Ganga emerges from his chignon in the form of a slender stream of water (evoking the Descent of Ganga myth), that arches skyward, mimicking the crescent moon, much loved by Shiva, which also appears on his forehead. Narottam Narayan Sharma was the most famed of the Nathdwara community of artists engaged in painting for commercial presses.
