Arkivism
Kartikeya, from a Kalighat album
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Kartikeya, from a Kalighat album

c. 1890 · Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

Here Kartikeya, god of war and son of Shiva and Parvati, born to annihilate the demon Taraka, is provocatively depicted as a dandy. Sitting astride his vehicle, the peacock, Kartikeya has a Prince Albert hairstyle and buckled European shoes. Fashionably draping his shawl, Karitkeya’s backdrop is a halo created by the peacock’s tail. The painting integrates prevailing Bengali social mores with traditional images and themes.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineKartikeya, from a Kalighat album, c. 1890. Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat. Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper; secondary support: 47.8 x 29.1 cm (18 13/16 x 11 7/16 in.); painting only: 45.8 x 28.2 cm (18 1/16 x 11 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward, 2003.151
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