Ganesha-Janani (Mother of Ganesh) (c. 1890): Art, History and Details

Ganesha-Janani (Mother of Ganesh) (c. 1890) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The goddess Parvati is portrayed here with the infant Ganesh in her arms. Ganesh is the ever-popular elephant-headed deity who is worshipped as the mischievous god of obstructions and beginnings. Ganesh is fashioned from the dirt of Parvati’s body. At his mother’s request, Ganesh guarded her as she bathed, only to be confronted by the god Shiva, Parvati’s husband, who is refused entry. Not knowing that Ganesh is his son, Shiva cuts off his head and enters. Parvati demands that Ganesh be restored. Ganesh is often portrayed as an infant when depicted with his mother Parvati, highlighting his childlike character.

Object facts

• Title: Ganesha-Janani (Mother of Ganesh)
• Date: c. 1890
• Culture: Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat
• Type: Painting
• Technique: Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper
• Dimensions: Painting only: 44.2 x 27.9 cm (17 3/8 x 11 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 2003.169

Collection credit

Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.