Artwork
King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala with the Dream Diviners, from a Kalpa-sutra
King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala with the Dream Diviners, from a Kalpa-sutra is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1494 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work titled *King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala with the Dream Diviners, from a Kalpa‑sutra* is a painted composition that places the royal couple at its centre. Both figures are dressed in blue and gold garments, set against a deep red backdrop that heightens the visual intensity of the scene.
Subject & Meaning
The painting illustrates a moment from the Kalpa‑sutra, an early Buddhist text, in which King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala are attended by four dream‑diviners. The presence of the diviners underscores the prophetic significance of the queen’s pregnancy, a pivotal episode in Buddhist tradition.
Technique & Style
Rendered with vivid pigments, the artist employs contrasting colour blocks—rich blues and golds for the royalty, varied hues for the attendants, and a saturated red field behind them. The composition balances symmetry around the central throne, while the distinct attire of each diviner suggests individualized roles within the narrative.
Context
Although the precise date and origin of the painting are not recorded, its subject matter aligns with the visual vocabulary of South Asian Buddhist manuscript illustration, where courtly figures and supernatural agents are frequently depicted in elaborate, colour‑rich panels.
Artist & collection
