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Shiva and Parvati
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Bronze sculptures made during the Chola period (800s–1200s) are among the most celebrated and popular art forms of the Indian tradition, and the 10th century marks their flourishing peak. The sensual renditions of attenuated, youthful, and athletic forms are barely covered by garments and ornaments that move, yet cling to the bodies. The figures stand with a natural ease, and the volumes have been so skillfully rendered by the artists that they appear to be capable of walking the earth. Their serene and smiling expressions are completely idealized, leaving no mistake that these are gods, not humans.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineShiva and Parvati, c. 950–60. South India, Tamil Nadu, Chola period (900–1200s)). Bronze; base: 21.6 x 79.5 x 24.9 cm (8 1/2 x 31 5/16 x 9 13/16 in.); part 1: 81.9 x 48.7 cm (32 1/4 x 19 3/16 in.); part 2: 65.1 x 16.5 cm (25 5/8 x 6 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1961.94
