Shiva and Parvati on a tiger skin
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art |
| Location History: | The painting was in the possession of scholar Catherine Glynn Benkaim, who, along with her husband, started collecting Indian paintings from the 1970s onwards. It was later transferred to the National Museum of Asian Art in 2023. |
Shiva and Parvati on a tiger skin," is an 18th-century miniature painting from the Rasamanjari series, attributed to Golu of Nurpur. As detailed in the descriptions across 1000052007.png and 1000052008.png, Golu belonged to a renowned lineage of artists—including his father Devidasa and grandfather Kripal—celebrated for their contributions to Basohli and Pahari style paintings. The series itself is based on a 15th-century romantic Sanskrit text by Bhanudatta Misra, which explores themes of love and the Nayaka-Nayika (hero-heroine) dichotomy. In this specific piece, the narrative is split into two distinct scenes set against a vibrant, flat red background and enclosed in a bright yellow border designed to eliminate environmental distractions. On the left side of the composition, the divine couple is depicted embracing while standing near a tree. On the right, they are shown lying down together on a sprawling tiger skin, with Shiva wrapped comfortably around Parvati. This latter depiction visualizes Shiva as an anakūl nayaka—a hero entirely devoted to his beloved—perfectly capturing the romantic essence of Bhanudatta's verses through a signature Basohli-infused artistic lens.