Ganesha, Son of Lord Shiva and Parvati

Painting

-

Purdue University Galleries

Name/Title

Ganesha, Son of Lord Shiva and Parvati

Entry/Object ID

1998.09.10

Description

The central figure is adorned with vibrant red, yellow, and green colors, intricate patterns, and traditional attire. Surrounding the figure is a backdrop of stylized leaves and floral motifs. The figure is shown with his multiple arms raised in a gesture, with a large crown atop their head.

Type of Painting

Watercolor

Artwork Details

Medium

Paper, Watercolor, ink

Subject

Ganesha

Subject Person

Lord Ganesha

Subject Place

Country

India

Acquisition

Accession

1998.09

Source or Donor

Derek Davenport

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Derek Davenport

Made/Created

Time Period

Late 20th century

Ethnography

Cultural Region

Region

Madhubani

Country

India

Notes

Traditionally produced by women, Madhubani/Mithila paintings are identifiable by bright colors, geometric patterning, and two-dimensionality.

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Attribution

Location

Back Upper Left Corner

Transcription

GANESHA The Elephant God Son of LORD SHIVA & PARVATI

Language

English

Material/Technique

Pen

Type

Note

Location

Back Upper Left Corner

Transcription

सुशीलादेवा फुलला

Language

Hindi

Translation

Sushiladeva Fulla

Material/Technique

Pen

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Painting

Nomenclature Class

Art

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Dimensions

Height

28 in

Width

22 in

Provenance

Notes

Derek Davenport (1927-2017), West Lafayette, Indiana; donated to the Purdue University Galleries in 1998

Exhibition

Paintings from India: Historical and Modern (2019)

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Exhibition label

Label

(From Paintings from India: Historical and Modern Reuff West Feb 11-22, 2019): Lord Ganesha is a compound word in Sanskrit made of 'Gana', meaning a group or multitude, and 'isha', meaning master. Ganesha received his elephant head after Shiva beheaded him because he had come between Shiva and Parvati. Luckily, Parvati was Ganesha's creator, and she was able to replace his lost head and substitute that of an elephant.