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South and Southeast Asia

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Image of Vishnu saves Gajendra from the water-snake

Bookmark: https://collection.sdmart.org/objects-1/info/6247

Vishnu saves Gajendra from the water-snake


Creation date: ca. 1835
Creation place: India

Other Information

Type: Watercolor Painting
Medium and Support: Ink and opaque watercolor on paper
Credit Line: Edwin Binney 3rd Collection
Accession Number: 1990.1255
State/Province: Himachal Pradesh
Dimensions: 6 21/32 in. x 9 1/2 in. (16.9 cm x 24.1 cm)

Provenance

Sotheby's, London, England (December 17, 1969 - December 17, 1969)

Layard, London, England (December 17, 1969 - December 17, 1969)

Edwin Binney 3rd, San Diego, California (December 17, 1969 - August 27, 1990)

San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California (August 27, 1990 - )

Label Copy

February 2020
Elephant in the Room
(Ladan Akbarnia)
In contrast to the classic Sanskrit rendition of Gajendra’s liberation found in the Bhagavata Purana, this painting shows the elephant-king Gajendra attacked by a snake instead of a crocodile, recalling the earliest known such image found in the late fifth- to early sixth-century Dashavatara Temple in north-central India. The figure of Vishnu appears in his most commonly depicted four-arm form, each dedicated to one of the Hindu deity’s four attributes: the conch shell; the chakra, or discus; the padma, or lotus flower; and the mace. Yet here Vishnu appears conflated with his avatar Krishna, who is often shown wearing a peacock-feather crown.
Last Updated: 4/4/2022

Exhibition

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

Elephant in the Room: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art , 00/00/00 - 00/00/00

Elephant in the Room: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art The San Diego Museum of Art , 00/00/00 - 00/00/00

The Elephant in the Room: Indian Paintings from the Edwin Binney 3rd Collection The San Diego Museum of Art , 2/29/2020 - 7/18/2021

Bibliography

This object has the following bibliographic references:

Catalogue of Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures, Sotheby & Co.. London, England, December 17, 1969
Page Number: 32, Lot no. 158

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South and Southeast Asia

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Showing 24 of 30

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