Artwork
Shiva and Nandi
Shiva and Nandi 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
The painting’s flat colors and bold outlines suggest it’s part of the *kalighat* style, a type of Indian folk art from the 19th century.
This painting shows a seated figure with a blue-gray body and a black mustache, holding a yellow object in one hand. The figure sits on a yellow cloth, wearing a red-and-black patterned skirt. Behind them is a white bull with a red-and-black horn, looking downward.
The painting’s flat colors and bold outlines suggest it’s part of the *kalighat* style, a type of Indian folk art from the 19th century.
Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.
Overview
Shiva and Nandi is an opaque watercolor painting on paper created in 1885. It depicts a scene from Hindu mythology.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows Shiva, a major Hindu deity, seated on Nandi, his bull companion. Shiva is rendered with a blue-gray body and black mustache, holding a yellow object, while Nandi is depicted with a white coat and red-and-black horn.
Technique & Style
The work is characterized by flat colors and bold outlines, indicative of the kalighat style, a 19th-century Indian folk art tradition.
History & Provenance
The painting was acquired by the museum in 1950 from Miss M. Steele. It was originally part of a series inherited by Steele's mother in 1894, possibly collected by her grandmother who lived in India.
Artist & collection
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