Devi receiving the Homage of Gods and Demons alike

The artwork ‘Devi receiving the Homage of Gods and Demons alike’ (21.3 x 21 cm) is part of the Tantric Devi series. The Early Master of the Rasamanjari series, believed to be Kripal of Nurpur, is credited with this artwork. The Museum Rietberg also calls the artwork ‘The goddess Bhadrakali is worshipped by humans, gods, and demons’. The titular character, ‘Bhadrakali’, or the ‘Dark One in Her Benign Form’ (Goswamy & Fischer, 1992, p.42), stands erect around the centre of the artwork, with thin delicate lines creating a golden halo around her head. Both Gods and Demons offer their respect with folded hands, but she remains turned towards the Gods, who Goswamy and Fischer (1992) have suggested to be Indra and a young Siddha. The Devi herself is dressed in a golden choli and green floral skirt. A golden veil hangs from her shoulders, giving her a regal, luxuriously bejewelled look. Her copper skin seems to glow against the Indian yellow background. She is adorned with an array of jewellery and is luxuriously resplendent. Interestingly, it is the god Indra who wears the crown with lotus buds instead of the Devi, which was customary in this artwork series. Her eyes are wide and lotus-shaped, and she is set apart from the rest as the only figure whose face is seen at three-quarters rather than at a side profile. Kripal also imbues the artwork with a sense of movement and rhythm. The scarves of both her and her devotees sway, their garments flair, and the curving, crescent-like shapes of the snakes give her a graceful elegance of movement. The tail of the demon spills out onto the border, and the scarf of the young Siddha also brushes the red border, giving the painting a sense of movement, as if it cannot be limited to the confines of the paper. Despite this, the artist does not forget to remind the viewer of her hidden power and strength. Fangs protrude from her mouth, and four snakes garland her head, neck, and arms. Her expression is fierce, unlike the softer eyes of other depictions in the Devi series. All of these serve as a reminder of her powers for destruction as well as renewal. The Devi combines breathtaking beauty with reminders of savage power. Like most of his paintings, Kripal borders the edge of this painting with red. At the tip of the artwork is a streak of blue and white, indicative of the sky and the faintest hint of grassy land at the bottom of the painting. The artwork's palette leans heavily into hues of red, orange, and yellow. The blue Demon stands out, but is cast to the right edge of the painting, as if the Devi’s splendour cannot be dimmed by him. Indeed, the Devi series was created keeping in mind the dhyanas, or meditative verses that conjure up images of the goddess in question. This artwork series was created to be pondered and meditated upon. Thus, the artist strips the painting of all but the most important references and details in order to keep the viewer focused on the work instead of getting caught up in its intricacies and details (Goswamy & Fischer, 2011). The Devi series seems to have gone on to inspire the later Rasamanjari series in its style and form.