Nagarjuna (c. 150–250 CE) with a Buddhist Master
1304
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1304
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see two men sitting under flowering trees, peacocks and parrots around them. Between them sits an open book on a golden stand, flowers scattered on its pages. One man sits on coiled red and black snakes. This painting shows Nagarjuna, a Buddhist thinker from long ago. The snakes are *nagas*—spirit beings tied to water and wisdom in old Indian stories. The book is a sacred text, treated like a holy object. The artist painted this in Nepal, hundreds of years after Nagarjuna lived. If you like this, look up more paintings of nepal.
