Shiva and Parvati
1865
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1865
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Shiva and Parvati is a 1865 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows two figures sitting side by side on a yellow cushion. The person on the left has blue hair, a white body with black dots, and a blue armband. The person on the right wears a bright yellow crown, a red and orange dress with green accents, and holds a small object in their hand. The bright colors and simple shapes suggest this is part of the *kalighat* style, a type of Indian folk art. Look up kalighat to see more examples of this bold, colorful tradition.
The painting, created in 1865 using opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, portrays Shiva and Parvati seated on a throne. Shiva is depicted wearing a tiger skin dhoti and turban, adorned with cobras encircling his shoulders and turban, while Parvati is shown in a red sari with silver-detailed borders, a green choli, and a golden crown. The work was donated to the University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Cambridge by Mrs Western of Langrookside, Havant, Hampshire.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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