Vishnu as Parasurama
Painting
ca. 1860 - ca. 1870 (made)
ca. 1860 - ca. 1870 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Painting, opaque watercolour on paper, depicting the sixth incarnation of Vishnu (Parasurama), the tortoise. Illustration to a Vishnu Avatara series. Vishnu is slaying the thousand-armed Kahatriya King, Kartavirya and all the Kahatriya caste. This followed the murder of Parasurama's father, Jamadagni, by the sons of Kartavirya, and the robbery of the wish-granting cow Surabhi. The dead bodies of men, horses and an elephant are scattered about a walled enclosure of red brick, with two gates, angle-turrets, a small pond and a tree. Parasurama, with blue skin and gold hair, and a skirt of tiger skin, decapitates Kartevirya, whose many arms lie around his body.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Vishnu as Parasurama (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Painting; Parasurama, the sixth (tortoise) incarnation of Vishnu, Pahari, Tehri Garhwal, ca. 1860-1870 |
| Physical description | Painting, opaque watercolour on paper, depicting the sixth incarnation of Vishnu (Parasurama), the tortoise. Illustration to a Vishnu Avatara series. Vishnu is slaying the thousand-armed Kahatriya King, Kartavirya and all the Kahatriya caste. This followed the murder of Parasurama's father, Jamadagni, by the sons of Kartavirya, and the robbery of the wish-granting cow Surabhi. The dead bodies of men, horses and an elephant are scattered about a walled enclosure of red brick, with two gates, angle-turrets, a small pond and a tree. Parasurama, with blue skin and gold hair, and a skirt of tiger skin, decapitates Kartevirya, whose many arms lie around his body. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | the sixth incarnation of Vishnu (Parasurama), the tortoise. Illustration to a Vishnu Avatara series. Vishnu is slaying the thousand-armed Kahatriya King, Kartavirya and all the Kahatriya caste. The dead bodies of men, horses and an elephant are scattered about a walled enclosure of red brick, with two gates, angle-turrets, a small pond and a tree. Parasurama, with blue skin and gold hair, and a skirt of tiger skin, decapitates Kartevirya, whose many arms lie around his body. |
| Style | |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Mrs. Grace S. Anderson in memory of her husband John Anderson, M. D., C. E. O., F. R. S. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Bibliographic reference | Indian paintings from the Punjab Hills : a survey and history of Pahari miniature painting / by W. G. Archer ; foreword by Sherman E. Lee. London :Delhi: Sotheby Parke Bernet ;Oxford University Press, 1973 Number: 0856670022
p. 122, cat. no. 38(iii). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.35-1917 |
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| Record created | October 21, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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