Shiva Bearing Aloft the Body of His Satic. 1890 · Study 2003.131

Context from the museum

This unusual image portrays Shiva holding aloft the corpse of his wife Sati with his trident. Sati immolated herself because of the hostility directed toward her husband Shiva by her father Daksha. The shadowy figure with blood emerging from the nose and heart is reminiscent of images of death ( mrtu pat ) found among the magic painter-minstrels ( jada patua ) of the Santal tribals of Bihar. The shadow is missing its right hand. In this connection, Shiva carried his wife until Vishnu cut the body into pieces that fell onto the earth and were made into shrines. The provocative title given to the piece when it was acquired was Shiva Bearing Aloft the Body of His Spouse Who Has Died in Childbirth . There is, however, no evidence of a myth concerning this theme, thus making this piece even more unusual.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Shiva Bearing Aloft the Body of His Sati is 27.8 cm wide and 45.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 10.9 × 18.0 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.61:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.13 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 9.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 136.1 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Shiva Bearing Aloft the Body of His Sati in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 27.8 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?