Artwork
Teaching and Liberation of Nemi, from the Kalpa-sutra
Teaching and Liberation of Nemi, from the Kalpa-sutra is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Symbolically, the scene conveys the path from knowledge to emancipation, emphasizing the transformative power of doctrine within Jain tradition.
The work illustrates a didactic moment from the Kalpa‑sutra in which the Jain ascetic Nemi imparts spiritual instruction, a theme tied to his eventual liberation. The composition centers on a figure engaged in teaching, accompanied by a single flower that functions as an icon of purity and the fleeting nature of worldly concerns. Symbolically, the scene conveys the path from knowledge to emancipation, emphasizing the transformative power of doctrine within Jain tradition.
Executed in 1500 and housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art, the painting merges narrative clarity with symbolic restraint, inviting viewers to contemplate the intersection of pedagogy and spiritual release.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Teaching and Liberation of Nemi, from the Kalpa-sutra, was created in 1500 by an unknown artist. This work is classified as a painting and is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is identified by the accession number 1932.119.19. The specific inception date is recorded as January 1, 1500. While the artist remains unidentified, the work depicts scenes related to the Kalpa-sutra and includes floral elements.
The painting Teaching and Liberation of Nemi, from the Kalpa-sutra is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. It carries the accession number 1932.119.19. The work dates to the year 1500 and is attributed to an unknown artist. No specific exhibition history for this piece is provided in the available sources.
Context
The work titled Teaching and Liberation of Nemi, from the Kalpa-sutra is a 16th‑century painting attributed to an unknown artist and classified as a painting.
It is part of a manuscript tradition associated with the Kalpa-sutra, depicting a narrative scene that includes a flower motif, and is dated to 1500.
The piece entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession 1932.119.19, reflecting its significance as an example of Indian religious art in Western museum holdings.
Overview
This painting, titled Teaching and Liberation of Nemi, from the Kalpa-sutra, represents a folio from a religious manuscript. It combines sacred text with a vibrant illustration, characteristic of illuminated scriptures. The composition features a central spiritual figure alongside written passages, framed by an elaborate decorative border. This work offers insight into the visual and textual traditions of its origin.
Technique & Style
The page is distinguished by its intricate visual elements and textual components. Black ink script fills portions of the folio, complementing the painted imagery. The central figure is rendered in rich gold and red robes, set against a background featuring a prominent red circle and dynamic swirling patterns in blue, gold, and white. A bright, detailed border encircles the entire composition, enhancing its decorative and sacred character.
Artist & collection
Kalpa Sutra
Kalpa-sutra manuscript with 24 illuminations
Serpents Protect Parshva from the Flood, from the Kalpa-sutra
Transfer of the Embryo of Mahavira, from a Kalpa-sutra
Text, folio 60 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra
Kalpa-sutra Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: Birth of Rsabhanatha
Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: Folio 61, text pages
Kalpa-sutra Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: King Siddhartha Rises and Bathes
Kalpa-sutra Manuscript with 24 Miniatures: Mahavira's Tonsure
Text, Folio 5 (verso), from a Kalpa-sutra- Nemi's Omniscience and First Teaching (below) and Nemi in the Realm of Liberation (above), Folio 51 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra
Birth of Parshva to Queen Vama, from the Kalpa-sutra
