Kangra Painting: Mahadeva (Shiva) and Parvati

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Shiva and Parvati are depicted side by side in an oval frame within this exquisite example of Kangra artwork. Shiva, characterized by his third eye and the crescent moon adorning his hair, has a snake wrapped around his neck. He holds the intoxicating fruit of the dhatura in one hand while embracing Parvati with the other. Parvati, dressed in a green and gold hemmed odhini, is adorned with jewels and holds a delicate white flower.

The figures of Mahadeva and Parvati are rendered on an exceptionally large scale in this Pahari painting. Two other Kangra versions of this double portrait of Shiva and Parvati, also on a similar scale, were part of the esteemed collection of Henri Vever (1854-1942) and are currently housed at the Freer Sackler in Washington (S1986.468), as well as in the collection of Ananda Coomaraswamy by 1916 (the present whereabouts of which are unknown). The Vever piece is now dated to circa 1830, while Coomaraswamy dated his version to the late 18th century (Coomaraswamy 1916, vol.II, pl.64). The two works are strikingly similar, likely created by the same artist during the same period, although there are subtle differences, such as the blue spot on Shiva’s neck, a remnant of the poison swallowed during the Churning of the Ocean, which is unique to the Coomaraswamy painting.

The artist responsible for our painting likely drew inspiration from one of these earlier works or an original that influenced this group. There are notable differences in facial types between our piece and the two published paintings, especially the sloping eyes with heavy eyelids and the delicate shading of the faces. Elements such as the snake around Shiva’s neck, the positioning and treatment of the hands, the mats of hair, the plain background, floral spandrels, and the overall dimensions (34 x 25.4 cm) bear close resemblance. However, in our painting, the fruit of the dhatura held by Parvati has been replaced with a flow.