Shiva on Nandi
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Shiva on Nandi is a 1890 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a large, many-armed figure riding a cow-like animal. The figure has a round belly, a necklace, and a yellow skirt with black stripes. The animal has a red face and a white body with black spots. The colors are bright but flat, with bold black outlines. The figure looks like a Hindu god, often shown with multiple arms. The style comes from an old Indian tradition called *kalighat*. Look up kalighat to see more paintings like this.
The artwork depicts the Hindu deity Shiva seated on his bull mount, Nandi, rendered in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper around 1890. Shiva is portrayed as a stout figure, holding a trident in his right hand and a horn in his left, with drooping eyes suggesting intoxication from bhang. Serpents are visible coiled in his hair and around his neck, emphasizing his divine attributes. The piece is part of an album of 196 works collected by J. Lockwood Kipling between 1865 and 1893, later donated to the museum by his son Rudyard Kipling in 1917.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
