Descent of the River Ganges / Artist Unknown, India, Central India, Bundelkhand
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1979/1.148
- Title
- Descent of the River Ganges
- Artist Nationality
- Indian
- Medium and Support
- ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
- Object Creation Date
- circa 1775
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- India (nation)
- Madhya Pradesh (state)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- India (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- Madhya Pradesh (state)
- Dimensions
- 25.4 cm x 17.78 cm (10 in. x 7 5/16in.)
- Century
- 18th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Painting
- Primary Object Type
- album leaf
- Secondary Object Classification
- Painting
- Secondary Object Type
- narrative painting
- Physical Description
- In this intensely lyrical painting from Bundelkhand in Central India, the great river is shown tumbling from the night sky. Ascetics sit cross-legged on the mountainside, offering their austerities to Shiva, while women come to venerate Ganga. The river teems with life—crocodiles, turtles, fish, and birds—while lions, leopards, jackals, monkeys, and rabbits cavort on its banks.
- Subject Matter
- According to an ancient legend, the goddess Ganga (the personification of the River Ganges) once dwelt in heaven, and the earth suffered from drought. Through the prayers of Bhagiratha, the gods agreed to allow Ganga to descend to earth, but that brought about another crisis: if Ganga were to fall unimpeded, the force of the mighty river could destroy the earth. Bhagiratha then performed penances to seek the aid of the powerful Hindu god Shiva, who responded by catching Ganga in his densely matted locks of hair to break her fall.
- Primary Keywords
- album leaf
- animals
- ascetic
- birds
- deity
- figures
- lions
- monk
- monks
- night
- nudes
- painting
- river
- river banks
- river bed
- rivers
- seated
- women
- Secondary Keywords
- animals and creatures
- asian
- associated concepts
- bodies of water
- bodies of water and components of bodies of water
- bodies of water by size
- buildings and the land
- components of bodies of water
- descriptors
- earth sciences concepts
- forms
- geography
- image-making processes and techniques
- landscapes (environments)
- making art
- mammals
- natural landscapes
- painting and painting techniques
- painting techniques
- painting techniques by medium
- people
- people (agents)
- people and culture
- people and occupations
- people by gender
- people by occupation
- people by state or condition
- people in religion
- people in religion and related occupations
- people in the humanities
- physical sciences concepts
- processes and techniques
- processes and techniques by specific type
- religions and religious concepts
- religious (people)
- religious concepts
- religious figures
- religious ideologies
- riverine bodies
- scientific concepts
- settlements and landscapes
- the natural world
- time
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 755 x 1035
- File Size
- 79 KB
- Record
- 1979/1.148
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1979-sl-1.148/1979_1.148.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1979-SL-1.148:1979_1.148.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Descent of the River Ganges; Artist Unknown, India, Central India, Bundelkhand." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1979-sl-1.148/1979_1.148.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 24, 2024.
