Vishnu and Lakshmi
1870
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1870
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Vishnu and Lakshmi is a 1870 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
The painting shows Vishnu, a Hindu god, lying on a giant serpent in the water. He's with his wife Lakshmi. A lotus flower rises from his navel, symbolizing creation. Vishnu is between destroying and creating a universe, a cycle in Hindu thought. This scene is a quiet moment in a big story. The painting's details are interesting because they show a specific part of Hindu mythology. To learn more about the use of light and dark in this painting, look up the technique: chiaroscuro.
The painting depicts the Hindu god Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha amid primordial waters, with his consort Lakshmi positioned at his feet. From Vishnu’s navel emerges a lotus stalk bearing a blossom, from which the creator god Brahma will emerge to renew the universe. Rendered in opaque watercolour on paper, the work illustrates Vishnu’s role in the cyclical process of destruction and rebirth central to Hindu cosmology. It may have been produced for a local ruler by regional artists.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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