Untitled

Unknown

late 18th century · Ink and ink wash on paper · Asian Art

Here, Varaha (an avatar of Vishnu) sits triumphantly on a rocky mountaintop while being venerated by the major Hindu gods. The form above his tusks is the world (bhu) together with the sun and moon, which he rescued from the cosmic waters after defeating the evil demon Hiranyaksha; the demon's body lies in the foreground. This rendering of the subject is unusal as artists typically chose to represent the moment when Varaha raised the earth above the cosmic waters.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 18th century

Medium

Ink and ink wash on paper

Culture

India (Rajasthan, Sawar)

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Subhash Kapoor, in memory of his parents, Smt Shashi Kanta and Shree Parshotam Ram Kapoor, 2008