Artwork
Worship of Shiva and Devi
Worship of Shiva and Devi is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1712 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work is a painted scene set in a garden where a group of figures gather around a raised platform.
About this work
History & Provenance
The painting Worship of Shiva and Devi is dated to 1712, aligning with the early 18th-century Pahari school tradition of Hindu devotional art.
The painting Worship of Shiva and Devi is dated to 1712, aligning with the early 18th-century Pahari school tradition of Hindu devotional art.
It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art as accession number 1967.240, where it remains in the permanent collection. No documented commission or original patron is recorded in available sources, and the artist is listed as unknown.
Worship of Shiva and Devi, dated 1712, is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Its accession number at the museum is 1967.240. No exhibition history is recorded in the available sources. identifies the painting's location as the Cleveland Museum of Art and supplies the accession identifier 1967.240. corroborates the 1712 date and confirms the work's classification as a painting, but does not add further provenance or display details.
Overview
The work is a painted scene set in a garden where a group of figures gather around a raised platform. Central to the composition are a man and a woman seated on the platform, while attendants in vivid robes stand or kneel nearby, some bearing fans, trays, or other ritual objects. A building with arched windows and a backdrop of lush trees frame the gathering.
Subject & Meaning
The central pair appear to represent a divine couple, suggesting a devotional tableau of Shiva and his consort, Devi. The surrounding figures, dressed in colorful ceremonial attire, likely function as worshippers or attendants, emphasizing the act of reverence within a natural, paradisiacal setting.
Technique & Style
The painting displays meticulous attention to detail in the patterned textiles and the bright palette that distinguishes each garment. Fine brushwork renders the foliage and architectural elements, while the use of perspective creates depth, placing the platform and its occupants prominently against the garden backdrop.
Context
Depictions of Shiva and Devi in a garden or temple environment are common in Indian religious art, where the natural world often symbolizes divine abundance. The inclusion of ritual objects and a structured architectural setting aligns the work with traditional iconography used to convey sacred narratives.
Artist & collection
Lakshmi and Devotees
Worship of Shiva and Devi
Dipak ragini
Malar Ragini: Krishna Playing the Flute to Seven Gopis Holding Musical Instruments, from the Ragamala Series
Rati, the Goddess of Erotic Love, Takes Aim at Krishna, from a Rasikapriya
Radha’s Confidante Brings Her to Krishna, based on poetry of Bihari (Indian, 1595–1663)
Malavi Ragini
Krishna with Guru in Palace Scene
Malar Ragini: Krishna Playing the Flute to Seven Gopis Holding Musical Instruments, from the Ragamala Series
Bhairava Raga
Brahma- Shiva and Parvati