This is a startling painting of an unusual subject. Dressed in white, against a rust-brown-green background, with only a hint of the sky, this female Siddha carries her identity on her person. The markings on her forehead and the confidence in her stance confirm the mastery of her practice. The painting was made in the mid-18th century and is a brilliant example of how a simple image can be extremely evocative.
Art365/365: Saraswati
Closing the year and this year-long journey with a painting of the goddess of knowledge and music, Saraswati. This Deccani painting was commissioned by the aesthete emperor, Ibrahim Adil Shah II, and painted by his master artist Farrukh Husain, around 1604.
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