Artwork Page for A Prince Performs Austerities (recto), from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (1670–1740)

Details / Information for A Prince Performs Austerities (recto), from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (1670–1740)

A Prince Performs Austerities (recto), from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (1670–1740)

1700s

Eastern India, Odisha

(formerly Orissa)
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Medium
Gum tempera and lampblack on palm leaf
Measurements
Leaf: 5.1 x 41 cm (2 x 16 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.175.a
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

In this illustration from the beginning of a popular romance, a prince performed intense austerities and devotions to the Shiva linga in order to obtain a divine woman. He practices yoga surrounded by fires during the hot season and wanders unsheltered during monsoon, as seen on the recto. On the verso, Shiva has answered his prayers and returns home to his "cave on Mount Kailash," as stated in the inscription.
A horizontally oriented gum tempera painting on palm leaf depicts three narrative scenes against a tan backdrop. On the left, a yellow-skinned figure sits inside a structure. In the center, a figure stands reaching toward a leafy tree. On the right, a figure sits cross-legged beneath a tree between two red, pointed forms. Small black birds and handwritten script are interspersed throughout the scenes, which are accented with vibrant red and yellow.

A Prince Performs Austerities (recto), from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (1670–1740)

1700s

Eastern India, Odisha (formerly Orissa)

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