Matsya, Vishnu’s fish avatar

ca. 1900–15

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 251

The Matsya Purana, among the oldest of the puranas, first characterizes Matsya as an avatar of Vishnu. The text is one of the first ancient sources to assert reverence for the natural world and living in harmony with nature. Matsya’s origins are linked in Vedic memory to a great flood during which he is credited with rescuing Manu, the progenitor of mankind. Along with Manu, he saves the seeds of all plant life, and the holy scriptures, the Vedas. In the hands of the Ravi Varma Press, Matsya is presented as a merman rescuing four infants that represent the four Vedas. He displays his discus (chakra) and the conch (shanka) in his raised hands as he gazes benignly upon the viewer.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Matsya, Vishnu’s fish avatar
Date: ca. 1900–15
Culture: India, Karla–Lonavala, Maharashtra
Medium: Chromolithographic with vanish on paper
Dimensions: Image: 13 1/2 × 9 5/8 in. (34.3 × 24.4 cm)
Sheet: 13 7/8 × 10 in. (35.2 × 25.4 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Purchase, Gift of Mrs. William J. Calhoun, by exchange, 2013
Object Number: 2013.13
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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