Nataraja (Shiva as lord of the dance)
Painting
ca. 1820 - ca. 1825 (painted)
ca. 1820 - ca. 1825 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India are called Company paintings. This example is from a collection of 100 such paintings. They show Hindu deities and their vehicles, the Guardians of the Quarters, the avataras (incarnations) of Vishnu, and the story of Krishna. The subject matter is an unusual one for Company paintings, which generally showed more popular themes such as occupations and costume. An Englishman with scholarly interests must have commissioned this one.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Nataraja (Shiva as lord of the dance) (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Opaque watercolour on watermarked paper |
| Brief description | Nataraja (Shiva as lord of the dance), gouache, Tiruchchirappalli, South India, ca. 1825. |
| Physical description | Nataraja (Shiva as lord of the dance) with one leg raised and standing on a small figure. Another male figure at left and female figure at right. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | Purchased from Mr A. Churchill, 1923 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India are called Company paintings. This example is from a collection of 100 such paintings. They show Hindu deities and their vehicles, the Guardians of the Quarters, the avataras (incarnations) of Vishnu, and the story of Krishna. The subject matter is an unusual one for Company paintings, which generally showed more popular themes such as occupations and costume. An Englishman with scholarly interests must have commissioned this one. |
| Bibliographic reference | Archer, Mildred. 'Company Paintings : Indian Paintings of the British Period.' London: Victoria and Albert Museum; Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd. 1992. p.25, ill. ISBN 0-944142-30-3 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.356-1923 |
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| Record created | January 13, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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