Crowned god Balarama

early 18th century

Panel from a temple hanging; opaque watercolor, gold, and paper applique on cotton H: 21.7 W: 12.4 cm Tirupati, India

This picture is from the Smithsonian Institute collection.

Source: http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/zoomObject.cfm?ObjectId=25460

Devotional painting on cloth originally hung within a south Indian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. This painting (see also S1998.114) features Balarama, half-brother of the god Krishna, who frequently features in south Indian painting as one of Vishnu's ten incarnations. Holding his identifying attribute, the hala or ploughshare, Balarama stands beneath a canopy of flower garlands and hanging lotus buds. The figure's boldly conceived limbs, magnetic gaze, and gold ornaments endow the diminutive image with impressive power. In order to retain the brilliance of gold, the artist painted the deity's crown and jewels onto thin paper applied to the rougher cotton surface.

Licensing

The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. This photograph of the work is also in the public domain in the United States (see Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corp.).

 For full information on this image, see its image description page on Wikipedia.