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Not currently on display at the V&A

Vishnu

Painting
ca. 1690 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In this illustration to the Hindu text the 'Vishnu Sahasranama' (The Thousand Names of Vishnu), the god Vishnu is shown being worshipped in several forms at once by groups of devotees, including Rama and Lakshmana, the heroes the Indian epic poem the 'Ramayana'. The inscription at the top of the page states that Vishnu is 'as splendid as ten million suns' and 'as powerful as ten million winds'.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleVishnu (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour on paper
Brief description
Painting, Vishnu Sahasranama, five manifestations of Vishnu with worshippers, opaque watercolour on paper, Mewar, ca. 1690
Physical description
Painting, opaque watercolour on paper, an illustration to the Vishnu Sahasranama with five manifestations of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is shown being worshipped in several forms simultaneously by groups of devotees, including Rama and Lakshmana, the heroes of the epic poem Ramayana, seated in a lotus, and in a white oval (possibly the moon or the Cosmic Egg), and on a platform with a worshipper.
Dimensions
  • Image within innermost painted borders height: 223mm
  • Image within innermost painted borders width: 175mm
  • Height: 255mm
  • Width: 206mm
05/06/2013 dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project 2013
Content description
Five manifestations of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is shown being worshipped in several forms simultaneously by groups of devotees.
Style
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceRamayana
Summary
In this illustration to the Hindu text the 'Vishnu Sahasranama' (The Thousand Names of Vishnu), the god Vishnu is shown being worshipped in several forms at once by groups of devotees, including Rama and Lakshmana, the heroes the Indian epic poem the 'Ramayana'. The inscription at the top of the page states that Vishnu is 'as splendid as ten million suns' and 'as powerful as ten million winds'.
Collection
Accession number
IS.115-1965

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Record createdJanuary 2, 2004
Record URL
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