The Shakti of Shiva in her form as Durga Mahishasuramardini
1820
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1820
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
The Shakti of Shiva in her form as Durga Mahishasuramardini is a 1820 paint by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a many-armed goddess sitting on a dark buffalo. She wears a red skirt with gold trim and a green top covered in jewels. Her arms hold weapons like tridents and swords, and her face is painted blue with a red dot in the center. The buffalo beneath her is blue-skinned with horns, and its mouth is open as if screaming. The caption below explains she’s crushing a giant named Mahisha. This is a common story in Hindu tradition where the goddess Durga defeats evil. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more paintings like this.
The artwork depicts Durga Mahishasuramardini, an eight-armed form of the goddess Shakti, standing frontally with green skin. She is shown atop a buffalo, beneath which the blue-skinned demon Mahishasura is visible. The scene illustrates Durga’s role as the slayer of the buffalo demon.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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