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View of the Jagannatha Temple, Puri

Unknown

1670

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Baroque Patna School of Painting Baroque Cityscape

Dominant colour

View of the Jagannatha Temple, Puri is a 1670 paint by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1670 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a bright view of the Jagannatha Temple in Puri, India. Pilgrims fill the scene in simple robes, some carrying sticks. The temple’s wooden wheels stand out against the red walls. The painting is done on cloth using the Orissan style. It’s old—from 1670—but still looks fresh. The artist adds tiny details, like the temple’s curved roofs and the pilgrims’ sandals. If this catches your eye, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more.

The story of this work

Overview

This water-based pigment painting on cotton cloth in the Orissan style portrays the Jagannatha Temple in Puri, Orissa, depicting its complex architecture including the main sanctuary, pillared hall, secondary shrines, and bathing place. The scene shows the Raja of Puri performing darshana, accompanied by priests and devadasi dancers, while the triad of Jagannatha, Balabadra, and Subhadra resides beneath the tower. Executed in Puri, the work was commissioned for the Avanta ceremony in Bhaktapur, Nepal, as indicated by a Newari inscription on the temple tower dated Samvat 790 (1670). The lower…

Read the full account in the museum source.