Vishnu as Narasimha
1855
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1855
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Vishnu as Narasimha is a 1855 paint by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a half-human, half-lion figure with a fierce face and sharp claws. The body is mostly white with bold red and yellow accents—like a skirt with sunburst lines and a red chest band. The lion’s mane is black and white, and the figure holds a green object in one hand while standing on a yellow base. The mix of human and animal parts suggests this is a mythical being, not a real creature. The bright colors and simple shapes make it look bold and dramatic. If you like this style, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more works like it.
The artwork depicts Vishnu in his fourth incarnation as Narasimha, a man-lion figure, rendered in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper. It is part of an album of 196 items, including prints, paintings, and drawings, primarily consisting of native lithographs from bazaars and fairs in Upper India and Bengal. The collection was assembled by J. Lockwood Kipling between 1865 and 1893 and later donated to the museum by his son, Rudyard Kipling, in 1917.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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