The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 17, 2025

Brahma

c. 1890

Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat

Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper
Painting: 45.1 x 27.7 cm (17 3/4 x 10 7/8 in.)
Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward 2003.148
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Brahma once had five heads, but the god Shiva decapitated one of them.

Description

The god of creation has four arms and four heads. The manuscript in his upper right hand indicates that he is the source of sacred knowledge as the quintessential Brahman. The lotus flower in his lower right hand references birth and procreation. He would typically hold a rosary and water pot in his left hands, which are here difficult to clearly identify given the cursory style of Kalighat painitngs. His mount, the goose, examines the ground at his feet.
  • ?–2003
    William E. Ward [1922–2004], Solon, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2003–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Indian Kalighat Paintings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 1-September 18, 2011).
  • {{cite web|title=Brahma|url=false|author=|year=c. 1890|access-date=17 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2003.148