Shiva Ardhanarishvara
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Shiva Ardhanarishvara is a 1890 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a figure split down the middle—one side blue with a trident, the other red and gold with jewelry and a sword. The blue side has a calm face with dark hair, while the red side wears a crown and has bold makeup. Both halves sit on a cloud, with the blue side holding a fan and the red side resting a hand on a knife. The bright colors and simple shapes look like they’re from a style called *kalighat*, which was popular in India. The way the figure is split in half is meant to show two different ideas as one. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.
A watercolour and tin alloy painting on cardboard depicts Shiva Ardhanarishvara, a combined form of the Hindu deities Shiva and Shakti, blending male and female features. The artwork was included in the 1971 exhibition *Tantra* at the Hayward Gallery in London, curated by Philip S. Rawson and organized by the Arts Council of Great Britain.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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