A painting of a woman holding a sword Chinnamasta - Public domain portrait drawing

"Untitled (The Goddess as Chinnamasta)

Made in India

or Bangladesh

1939?

Artist/maker unknown, India or Bangladesh

Opaque watercolor and bronze metallic paint on paper

11 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches (29.2 x 19 cm)

Currently not on view

1994-148-545

Stella Kramrisch Collection, 1994

Drawing on an ancient Hindu religious story for its subject matter, this dramatic watercolor depicts the goddess decapitating herself and feeding her hungry attendants with her blood. The pattern of triangles in the background is a yantra, the geometric visualization of the Goddess herself. The subject and figures are drawn from "miniature" paintings of North India, while the red signature stamp shows the interest in East Asia by artists of the Bengal School. Over the stamp is written in Bengali "Narendra" and the Bengali date "Agrahayon '46," equivalent to November-December 1939."

india chinnamasta kamadeva paintings of devi rati devi stella kramrisch collection watercolours bengal hinduism hindu gods hindu watercolors portrait

1939

Wikimedia Commons

http://commons.wikimedia.org/

public domain