The god Subrahmanya, the god of war.
1820
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1820
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
The god Subrahmanya, the god of war. is a 1820 paint by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows the god Subrahmanya, who is the god of war. He's dressed in nice clothes and looks strong. This painting is special because it shows a Hindu deity, which is not a common subject in Company paintings. The artist made this for a British person in India. It's part of a collection of 100 paintings. You can learn more about this style by looking at the technique called chiaroscuro.
The artwork depicts Subrahmanya, the Hindu god of war, in his form as Mailerivelan, riding a peacock accompanied by his consorts Valli and Devasena. Rendered with pink skin and four arms, he holds two wavy swords while displaying symbolic hand gestures, one granting protection and the other offering boons. The peacock stands atop a cobra, with another held in its beak, while two female figures flank the deity. A ring of flames frames the scene.
Read the full account in the museum source.
