Artwork
Parvati and Shiva
Parvati and Shiva is a paint painting by the Impressionist artist Unknown. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1885, this opaque watercolor on paper portrays two divine figures in close proximity, the female figure placing a necklace upon the male. The composition is rendered with bold outlines and flat areas of color, lacking any modeling or shading, and includes a heading in the upper margin that reads *Mahadev‑ishwari*, suggesting a Hindu context.
Subject & Meaning
The scene likely represents the Hindu deities Parvati and Shiva, with Parvati adorning Shiva with a necklace, an act that symbolizes marital devotion and the harmonious union of complementary forces in Hindu mythology. The inscription *Mahadev‑ishwari* combines the titles of the male and female deities, reinforcing this identification.
Technique & Style
Executed in opaque watercolor, the work employs a limited palette of vivid hues—white, yellow, black, red, and gold—applied in flat washes bounded by strong black contours. The stylization, including the striped hat and crown, aligns with the 19th‑century Kalighat school of Indian painting, known for its graphic clarity and decorative detail.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the museum’s collection in 1950 through the bequest of Miss M. Steele, who had inherited it from her mother, a Sanskrit scholar at Cambridge. The work may have originally been part of a larger series assembled by Steele’s grandmother, who spent time in India, reflecting a familial transmission of Indian art across generations.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
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The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
