A Nobleman’s Vision of Shiva and Parvati

A Pahari grandee stands respectfully with hands folded in homage before an image,
either real or imagined through meditation, of the Divine Family: the great, four­armed god
Shiva, holding a trident and skull­cup, wearing his long hair gathered in a top knot and with a
leopard skin skirt wrapped around his loins. Shiva is seated with his consort, the goddess
Parvati, on a tiger skin rug. They are accompanied by their mount, Nandi the bull. The Pahari
grandee wears a violet, Mughal­style coat (jama), white turban, white and gold patka
(cumberbund), and striped trousers (pyjama). His feet are unshod, as they must be, in the
presence of such august company.
This very handsome work was probably painted by one of the artists in the “second
generation after Nainsukh”. (See cat. no. 70.) The beautiful and naturalistic landscape
background, depicting the gently rolling topography of the Kangra valley, is a telltale indication
of Nainsukh’s influence. In fact, this picture might be one of Nainsukh’s poorly understood later
works. (1)
(1) For comparison, see, for example, B.N. Goswamy 1997, nos. 89­90.

Inscription: Inscribed on the reverse in black ink with two lines of regional Hindi written in devanagari script: “______________”. Also inscribed on the reverse in black ink with the Sanskrit number 23 and the English number 32 or 33, and with a doodle.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Divine Pleasures: Painting from India's Rajput Courts—The Kronos Collections," June 13–September 11, 2016.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Seeing the Divine: Pahari Painting of North India," December 22, 2018–July 28, 2019.