Divine couple seated in a lotus blossom
Unknown Artist
early 1800s
Medium
Gum tempera and gold on paper
Dimensions
13.3 × 9 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Mrs. A. Dean Perry
Accession Number
1997.118
About this artwork
A gigantic, thousand-petaled lotus flower provides an intimate setting for the lovers. They sit on the seed pod of another full-blown lotus flower, which indicates their transcendent nature by elevating them from the mire of the earth. Shown with full face forward in all white, the four-armed male deity has the all-seeing third eye in his brow and holds only a manuscript. The red goddess on his lap grasps a lotus flower in one hand, which communicates her benign and peaceful nature. At the botto...