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."