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Vanasura, Shiva and Parvati

Unknown

1800

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Vanasura, Shiva and Parvati is a 1800 paint by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1800 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a bright, busy scene split in two. The top half has a city with colorful buildings and domes. People in fancy clothes stand near temples. Some figures glow with gold halos. The bottom half is a green hillside with trees and sheep. Look closer at the glowing figures. They might be gods or important people. Their bright colors stand out against the red border. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more paintings like this.

The story of this work

Overview

The painting, rendered in opaque watercolor on paper around 1800, illustrates a scene from the Bhagavata Purana in which the thousand-armed demon Vanasura visits Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailash. Vanasura appears on the right side of the upper panel, presenting himself before Shiva, who dances in ecstatic devotion before the demon.

Read the full account in the museum source.