Description
According to the text dedicated to the exploits of the great goddess Devi in her various forms, there was a time in the mythic past when a buffalo demon was ravaging the world. Storm clouds swirl above and dust below him. The goddess in her warrior aspect in which she is named Durga rides a chariot pulled by two leonine tigers with blue skies and flowering trees above her. The two are about to clash in a bloody battle that will take place on the gently sloping hillside evocative of the western Himalayan foothills where this painting was made.
Provenance
A. Coomaraswamy; Margaret F. Marcus, Cleveland, OH; A. Coomaraswamy; Margaret F. Marcus, Cleveland, OH.
Accession Number
1955.667
Medium
Gum tempera and gold on paper
Dimensions
Image: 15.8 x 25.3 cm (6 1/4 x 9 15/16 in.); Overall: 17.7 x 27.5 cm (6 15/16 x 10 13/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Edward L. Whittemore Fund
Tags
Painting Neoclassical & Romantic (1751–1850) Tempera Gold Leaf Paper
Background & Context
Background Story
Durga Slaying Mahisha from c. 1830 is an Indian painting depicting the Hindu goddess Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahishasura, following the long Indian tradition of painting this scene as one of the most important subjects in Hindu art. The c. 1830 date places this in the late Indian court painting period, when Indian painting was being produced in the courts of the Rajput kingdoms and other regional courts, and the Durga slaying Mahisha subject connects the painting to the long tradition of depicting the goddess Durga in Indian art that is one of the most important subjects in Hindu painting.
Cultural Impact
Durga Slaying Mahisha is important in the history of Indian painting because it demonstrates the tradition of depicting the goddess Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahishasura as one of the most important subjects in Hindu art. The tradition of painting Durga slaying Mahishasura—representing the victory of good over evil—is one of the most enduring subjects in Indian painting, and the c. 1830 painting shows this tradition at the late court painting period.
Why It Matters
Durga Slaying Mahisha is an Indian painting from c. 1830 depicting the goddess Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahishasura—one of the most important subjects in Hindu art. The painting shows the tradition of depicting the victory of good over evil that is one of the most enduring subjects in Indian painting.
