The Salvation of the Elephant (Gaj Mokasha) / Artist Unknown, India
About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 2010/2.27
- Title
- The Salvation of the Elephant (Gaj Mokasha)
- Artist
- Artist Unknown, India
- Artist Nationality
- Indian
- Medium and Support
- paint on canvas
- Object Creation Date
- circa 1815
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- India (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- India (nation)
- Credit Line
- Gift of George H. Lauff
- Dimensions
- 19 cm x 25.5 cm (7 1/2 in. x 10 1/16 in.)
- Century
- 19th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Painting
- Primary Object Type
- figures on landscape
- Secondary Object Classification
- Painting
- Secondary Object Type
- narrative painting
- Physical Description
- An elephant seems to walk on water from the bottom right corner of the composition, rising towards Vishnu in the upper left with a single lotus flower in its trunk. Vishnu, with 4 arms, steps on green hills surrounding the lotus covered pond, bending towards the elephant. Garuda flies in the upper right.
- Subject Matter
- The story of Gajendra moksha appears in the Bhagavatha Purana. It tells the story of an elephant named Gajendre who prays to vishnu for help when struggling with a water creature (crocodile, monster). Gajendra makes an offering of a lotus flower with his trunk. The prayers made by Gajendra became a famous hymn in praise of Lord Vishnu called Gajendra Stuthi. Seeing His devotee in distress, Lord Vishnu kills the crocodile and saves Gajendra.
- Secondary Keywords
- animals and creatures
- associated concepts
- buildings and the land
- descriptors
- design elements
- herbaceous plants
- landscapes (environments)
- mammals
- motifs
- natural landscapes
- objects we use
- people and culture
- plant-derived motifs
- plants
- religions
- religions and religious concepts
- settlements and landscapes
- vegetation and vegetation components
- vegetation components
- visual works
- visual works by medium or technique
- woody plants
- 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
- 3283 x 2283
- File Size
- 391 KB
- Record
- 2010/2.27
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2010-sl-2.27/2010_2.27.jpg
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- Full citation
-
"The Salvation of the Elephant (Gaj Mokasha); Artist Unknown, India." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2010-sl-2.27/2010_2.27.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 21, 2024.