Shiva, Ever Solicitous of His Other Half
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Gouache |
| Current Location: | Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C. |
| Location History: | The painting titled Shiva, Ever Solicitous of His Other Half comes from the local royal collections of the Pahari hill states in northern India. It was passed down from generation to generation by families such as Mian Katar Singh of Nurpur and the Raja of Lambragaon. The painting was sent to the Sona Gallery in New York in 1967 and then remained in the United States for several decades. It was in Beverly Hills, California, as a part of the private collection of scholars Ralph and Catherine Glynn Benkaim. The painting was digitized on Wikimedia Commons, and the original piece was permanently acquired by the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D. C. in 2023. |
This beautiful artwork attributed to artist Golu, son of Devidasa is a part of the Nurpur school. He was a prominent artist of Pahari miniature paintings and came from a family of renowned painters. Golu's works are characterized by use of vibrant hues, and illustrations for the Rasamanjari series (meaning bouquet of 'rasa') which was a continuation of the artistic tradition established by his predecessors. This painting is considered to be the opening page of the renowned Rasamanjari series dated to early eighteenth century. This compilation depicts various lovers (nayakas and nayikas) and love situations. In this composition, Lord Shiva is portrayed as the anakūl nayaka or the lover who is devoted solely to his beloved, here depicted as his wife Parvati. Shiva and Parvati are depicted twice in the painting; in the left they are shown standing near a large tree picking flowers and, on the right, they are shown lying down on a tiger skin.