Shiva Gangadhara, "Bearer of the Ganga"

dated 1945

Not on view

Dating from an intensely productive period in the mid- to late 1940s, this work displays a remarkable command of the watercolor medium and a sophisticated engagement with Brahmanic themes. Shiva Gangadhara is a powerful and original rendering of the much-loved story in which Shiva captures the river Ganges (Ganga) in his braided hair, so breaking its thundering descent from the Himalayas that threatened to destroy the earth. A slender crescent moon and the white strand alluding to the river serve as the principal identifiers of the subject. His dance posture and secondary hands holding a drum and flaming pyre identify Shiva as Nataraja (Lord of Dance). The use of diagonals in the composition and the presence of a full-scale figure that seems to strain the boundaries of the page both add a dynamic tension to the work.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Shiva Gangadhara, "Bearer of the Ganga"
Artist: Y. G. Srimati (Indian, 1926–2007)
Date: dated 1945
Culture: India (Chennai)
Medium: Watercolor on paper
Dimensions: Image: 20 x 12 1/2 in. (50.8 x 31.8 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2009
Object Number: 2009.101
Rights and Reproduction: © 2009 M. Pellettieri
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

By Y. G. Srimati

In the same medium

From the same time and place

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Eklavya Practicing Archery before an Icon of Dronacharya, Y. G. Srimati Indian, Watercolor on paper, India (Chennai) — Eklavya Practicing Archery before an Icon of Dronacharya
Y. G. Srimati
ca. 1945–46

The Bullock Cart, Y. G. Srimati Indian, Watercolor on paper, India (Chennai) — The Bullock Cart
Y. G. Srimati
ca. 1950

Woman with Medallion, Y. G. Srimati Indian, Transparent and opaque watercolor, and graphite on paper, India (Chennai) — Woman with Medallion
Y. G. Srimati
early 1940s

Young Woman in Dressing Room, Y. G. Srimati Indian, Watercolor on paper, India (Chennai) — Young Woman in Dressing Room
Y. G. Srimati
early 1940s

Vishvarupa, Y. G. Srimati Indian, Watercolor on paper, India (Chennai) — Vishvarupa
Y. G. Srimati
1961

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