The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 6, 2024

Vishnu

Vishnu

late 400s CE
sandstone
Overall: 85.4 cm (33 5/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1976.75
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Strings of jewels spew from the mouth of the leonine face (kirtimukha) in the center of the crown: a mark of glory.

Description

This sculpture of the Hindu god Vishnu once had four arms, indicating his superhuman power. The smooth contours of the body and placid expression betoken a new vision for images of divinities in South Asia, characterized by restrained elegance. The scarf tied loosely around his hips curves gracefully under its own weight, emphasizing his passive immobility, since it would come undone if he were to move.
  • ?–1976
    (William H. Wolff [1906–1991], New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1976–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Lee, Sherman E. "The Year in Review for 1976." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 64, no. 2 (1977): 39-78. Mentioned: no. 170, p. 79; Reproduced: no. 170, p. 59 25152676
    Czuma, Stanislaw. “Mathura Sculpture in the Cleveland Museum Collection.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 64, no. 3, 1977, pp. 83–114. Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 106, fig. 34 25152680
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 291 archive.org
    Harle, James C. “The Tradition of Gupta Sculpture and Its Influence.” Apollo, CVIII:200 (October 1978), pp. 232-237. Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 234, fig. 4
    Pal, Pratapaditya. The Ideal Image: The Gupta Sculptural Tradition and Its Influence. [New York]: Asia Society in association with J. Weatherhill, 1978. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 24, p. 76
  • The Ideal Image: The Gupta Sculptural Tradition and Its Influence. Asia House Galleries, New York City, NY (organizer) (October 5-December 3, 1978); Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX (January 1-February 25, 1979); The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL (March 24-May 6, 1979).
    Year in Review, 1976. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 1-March 6, 1977).
  • {{cite web|title=Vishnu|url=false|author=|year=late 400s CE|access-date=06 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1976.75