Markendeya purana series: Vishnu reclining on a serpent (Anantashayana), with other deities in attendance / Artist Unknown, India, Northern Andhra Pradesh
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1980/2.305
- Title
- Markendeya purana series: Vishnu reclining on a serpent (Anantashayana), with other deities in attendance
- Artist Nationality
- Indian
- Medium and Support
- ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on cloth
- Object Creation Date
- late 18th century
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- India (nation)
- Andhra Pradesh (state)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- India (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- Andhra Pradesh (state)
- Dimensions
- 88 cm x 86.5 cm (34 5/8 in. x 34 1/16 in.)
- Century
- 18th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Painting
- Primary Object Type
- hand scroll
- Secondary Object Classification
- Painting
- Secondary Object Type
- narrative painting
- Physical Description
- The four-armed Vishnu is shown lying on the serpent Ananta (“the endless one”), resting on the surface of the cosmic ocean. As his female consort gently strokes his leg, Vishnu awakens from a long sleep. From his navel sprouts a lotus, bearing the four-headed creator god, Brahma, who will begin a new cycle of the universe.
- Subject Matter
- The Markandeya Purana is one of the puranas, a series of texts compiled by about the fifth century C.E. that relate narratives about the Hindu gods and embody centuries of traditional wisdom. Part of the Markandeya Purana is said to be an account of the visions of the sage Markandeya, including this scene of the moment of creation of the world.
- This painting is one of three in the Museum’s collection that were originally part of a single long vertical scroll that would have been carried from village to village by itinerant storytellers. The storyteller would unroll one large scene each evening and vocally re-enact the scene, interspersing a traditional recitation about the gods with current village gossip. The fact that the painting is purpose-made for oral recitation allows the artist to create a more complex composition, with many imbedded subplots. The large scale, simplified drawing, and bold colors make this painting especially appropriate for outdoor viewing from a distance.
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- the natural world
- 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
- 941 x 955
- File Size
- 137 KB
- Record
- 1980/2.305
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1980-sl-2.305/1980_2.305.jpg
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Related Links
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- In public portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1980-SL-2.305:1980_2.305.JPG
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- Full citation
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"Markendeya purana series: Vishnu reclining on a serpent (Anantashayana), with other deities in attendance; Artist Unknown, India, Northern Andhra Pradesh." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1980-sl-2.305/1980_2.305.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 16, 2024.