Shiva under trees (c. 1780): Art, History and Details

Shiva under trees (c. 1780) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

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

Cut from a larger composition, this fragment shows the god Shiva who has come down to earth. He seems alluringly approachable despite his white body, the snake around his neck, his third eye, trident weapon, animal-skin garment, and the crescent moon at his brow. Set off against a flat red background, he stands under two shade trees that make his manifestation on earth believable. One tree is entwined around the other, metaphorically suggesting the physical love Shiva seems to wistfully desire.

Object facts

• Title: Shiva under trees
• Date: c. 1780
• Culture: Northern India, Pahari kingdoms
• Type: Painting
• Technique: Gum tempera on paper
• Dimensions: Overall: 18.2 x 14 cm (7 3/16 x 5 1/2 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1960.48

Collection credit

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund

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.