Lakshmi
Lakshmi standing gracefully on a lotus bloom is the most well-known subject of all the early lithographs produced by the Ravi Varma Press. The goddess of prosperity appears as a beautiful young woman, four-armed and robed in a crimson sari with gold borders. The forested setting with a stream and mountains enhances this life affirming image. Swans and their cygnets allude to fertility, and a white elephant offers a garland to the goddess in a variation of the Gajalakshmi (Lakshmi lustrated by two elephants) theme. This image, published in the press’s first year, 1894, proved immensely popular and continued to be produced into the 1920s. The painterly quality of the print attests to it being modelled after a Ravi Varma oil painting.
Artwork Details
- Title: Lakshmi
- Date: 1894
- Culture: India, Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Medium: Chromolithograph on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 28 1/8 × 20 in. (71.4 × 50.8 cm)
Sheet: 30 3/4 × 25 7/8 in. (78.1 × 65.7 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Purchase, Gift of Mrs. William J. Calhoun and Bequest of Nina Bunshaft, by exchange, 2013
- Object Number: 2013.10
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
19th century
India, Karla–Lonavala, Maharashtra
1899–1903
British, Staffordshire
ca. 1820–30
19th century
India, Karla–Lonavala, Maharashtra
ca. 1899–1903
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.