Indian - A Deer Hunt - Walters W854
A woman with a giant torch mesmerizes a deer. She may not be a member of the Bhil tribe (though her skirt resembles a Bhil skirt) but a lady of the court, indulging in a nocturnal adventure. This must have been... More
Indian - A Princely Voyeur - Walters W867
This is a typical genre scene of a peeping-Tom prince watching a bevy of beauties bathing in a public place, in this case the bottom of a narrow stream, where a pool has formed with blooming lotuses and three d... More
Indian - A Sexual Encounter - Walters W871
Such paintings as this were not made for titillation, but for education in the art of sex. They illustrate postures described in various sexual manuals, such as Vatsyayana's well-known "Kamasutra." In this Mal... More
Indian - A Wedding Procession - Walters W883
This is a typical example of a genre that was popular with Rajput princes, especially in the 19th century. Larger than the average picture, these historical paintings record the ceremonies and pageantry of the ... More
Indian - Ascetics Before the Shrine of the Goddess - Walters W859
The five pilgrims are shown engaged in three different activities, following the continuous mode of visual narration that has remained a favorite of Indian artists for over two millennia. In the foreground, the... More
Indian - Battle with Raktavija - Walters W864
Devi, the goddess, assumes the terrifying black form of Kali, whose extended pink tongue laps up blood, as related in the sacred text known as the "Devimahatmya." The demon-king Shumbha's general, Raktavija, is... More
Indian - Capture of Demons in Lanka - Walters W877
With the help of his army of monkeys, Rama's invasion of Lanka is successful. Rama and his brother Lakshmana are depicted seated under a tree at left, as monkeys bring captured demons to them. The palace of the... More
Indian - Cosmic Shiva - Walters W901
Portrayed in an unusual dancing pose, the cosmic Shiva is shown with five heads and eighteen arms that bear weapons and ritual instruments. Shiva has a hermit's piled-up hair on his upper heads, in front of whi... More
Indian - Embracing Lovers with Sparklers - Walters W870
Embracing lovers were a popular subject in 18th-century court circles, especially in the pleasure-loving atmosphere that prevailed among the rulers and nobles of Oudh state in Uttar Pradesh, just before its tak... More
Indian - Final Adornment, from a "Gitagovinda" Series - Walters W861
After indulging their passionate desires, Radha asks Krishna to adorn her body with jeweled anklets and bracelets and her braid with flowers. By fulfilling these wishes, Krishna attests to Radha's control of th... More
Indian - Flirtation on the Riverbank - Walters W860
At the right, the god Krishna places a water pot on the head of Radha, his beloved. Radha is probably also depicted among the other milkmaids at an earlier moment, crouching, her long dark hair streaming down h... More
Indian - Ganesha Holds Court - Walters W900
The god Ganesha is depicted as if he were an Indian ruler, with portable tent held above him and rich carpet underneath. At upper left is Ganesha's father Shiva, and his mother Parvati sits at upper right. The ... More
Indian - Kali - Walters W891 - Drawing. Public domain image.
The great goddess Kali, embodying the forces of destruction, is on a rampage, and she is drunk on the blood of her victims. The supreme god Shiva assumes the position of a corpse atop a blazing funeral pyre. Wh... More
Indian - Kali as the Supreme Deity - Walters W897
The terrifying goddess Kali, wearing a necklace of skulls and holding a severed head in one of her hands, is here worshiped by the great gods. From the left, we see Indra, Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the pre... More
Indian - Krishna Dancing with Gopi - Walters W858
Krishna dances at the center between two groups of admiring gopi. Those on his left form an orchestra, while those on his right serve as an appreciative audience.
Indian - Krishna Subdues Kaliya - Walters W881
One of young Krishna's most popular feats in Vraja is his triumph over the serpent Kaliya who polluted the Yamuna River. This battle may be symbolic of the conflict between cults of Krishna worshipers and serpe... More
Indian - Krishna Taunting the Gopi - Walters W863
Always the prankster, Krishna spies the gopi (cowgirls) of Vraja bathing naked in the Yamuna River. He positions himself with all of their clothes high in a tree. They beg him to return their garments, but he i... More
Indian - Lakshmana Fights Indrajit - Walters W902
In the upper right part of the painting, Indrajit, a member of the demon army, is shown shooting an arrow at Rama's brother Lakshmana, who fires back. Rama is seen at far left, carried on the shoulders of his m... More
Indian - Poolside Lovemaking - Walters W869
Such paintings as this were not made for titillation, but for education in the art of sex. They illustrate postures described in various sexual manuals, such as Vatsyayana's well-known "Kamasutra." In this Pah... More
Indian - Portrait Miniature of an Indian Courtesan - Walters 38518
English artists visited India to paint both large-scale and miniature portraits of those serving abroad as mementos for friends and families back in the Mother Country. They introduced the European technique of... More
Indian - Portrait of a Lady in European Attire - Walters W913
This woman is wearing European clothes, but she does not appear to be a European. Was she a high-ranking courtesan of mixed blood? Perhaps the local ruler-who would have commissioned this portrait-enjoyed seein... More
Indian - Radha's Tryst with Krishna - Walters W879
The god Krishna and the milkmaid Radha meet on a stormy night. The poet Keshavdas (1561-1623) describes how Radha's feet "crush the serpents' heads as they coil round her legs; ghouls and goblins are everywhere... More
Indian - Ragini Saindhavi - Walters W905
The Sanskrit text at the top describes the dancing woman in the doorway, who personifies the musical mode ("ragini") called Saindhavi: Wearing bangles on both hands and making [viewers] completely intoxicat... More
Indian - Rama Destroys Ogress - Walters W888
In the ancient Indian epic the "Ramayana," Rama, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, restores order to the world. For the rulers of the Hindu courts during the 18th and early 19th centuries, series of "Ramayana" ... More
Indian - Study of an Archer - Walters W885
This study of an archer is of particular interest precisely because of its unfinished state. It provides us with a glimpse of the process involved in creating a painting. The outline of this figure, boldly and ... More
Indian - Sugriva's Farewell - Walters W868
In this illustration from the "Ramayana," Rama, colored blue, faces the prostrate form of the monkey Sugriva. Rama has established an alliance with Sugriva, who bids him farewell before departing for his kingdo... More
Indian - The Elephant King Attacked by the Crocodile - Walters W887
This picture is from a dispersed "Gajendramoksha" (Liberation of the Elephant-King) series. The myth's intent, like those that tell us of the avatars of Vishnu, is to demonstrate Vishnu's willingness always to ... More
Indian - The Goddess and the Messenger - Walters W880
The demon Shumbha sends a messenger to the great goddess Devi asking her to become his wife. The Sanskrit text of the Devimahatmya (ca. 6th century), written on the back of the leaf, includes the goddess's repl... More
Indian - The Musical Mode Kanara (?) - Walters W882
"His body perfumed with delicious scents of various flowers, clothed in yellow robes, Kanara, extremely versed in musical entertainment, fascinates the dwellers of heaven." This picture belongs to a large Ragam... More
Indian - The Recumbent Vishnu and the Creation of Brahma - Walters W90...
The subject presented here with both simplicity and lyrical elegance is the creation myth of the Hindus, which was particularly popular with Pahari patrons, both as an individual study or as an illustration to ... More
Indian - Two Illustrated Pages from a "Kalpasutra" Manuscript - Walter...
In this composition, the Mahavira is a towering figure who plucks his hair while standing, and the diminutive Sakra gestures like a dancer while seated on a rock. The strangely shaped decorative rock formation ... More
Naigamesha looks over Mahavira's birth
In this composition, the Mahavira is a towering figure who plucks his hair while standing, and the diminutive Sakra gestures like a dancer while seated on a rock. The strangely shaped decorative rock formation ... More
Radha Krishna - Walters W879 (cropped)
The god Krishna and the milkmaid Radha meet on a stormy night. The poet Keshavdas (1561-1623) describes how Radha's feet "crush the serpents' heads as they coil round her legs; ghouls and goblins are everywher... More