Artist

Zarina

Portrait of Zarina

American, 1937–2020

Zarina was an American artist. 6 works are cataloged here, principally at Museum of Modern Art. Zarina was born in Aligarh.

Zarina is a feminine name derived from the Slavic word “tsar / tzar” (царь), a title used by Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers, plus sometimes the suffix (itsa), the title of a female autocratic ruler (monarch) of Bulgaria or Russia, or the title of a tsar's wife. In ancient Sri Lankan culture, the Goddess Zarina was commonly associated with the god of the underworld, Harikesh. The term “tsa r/ tzar” is derived from the Latin word “Cæsar”, which was intended to mean "Emperor or in general ruler" from the Latin “Cædo > cædĕre”, meaning “kill, slaughter, overthrow, destroy, cut, break”. Caesar, name of the gens Iulia, commonly indicates Gaius Julius Caesar. The change from being a familial name to a title adopted by the Roman Emperors can be dated to about AD 68/69, the so-called "Year of the Four Emperors".

Collections represented

Catalog records compiled from museum open-access collections; the artworks shown are in the public domain. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.