Tantric Devi on Shiva, from a Mandi Devi Seriesc. 1810 · Study 2020.431

Context from the museum

Showing her utter superiority over the male god, the blue-skinned goddess, Devi, lunges with fangs bared and tongue lolling on the supine body of Shiva, stretched on a burning pyre. In one hand she holds the sword she used to decapitate the demon whose head she triumphantly grasps in her left hand. In the other two hands she holds shears and a noose. Her garment is a tiger skin; her garland consists of severed heads; and her torque is a cobra. As the personification of divine energy— shakti in Sanskrit—Devi appears active, while the male principle, personified as her consort Shiva, is like a corpse ( shava ). The scene is set in a cremation ground, complete with body parts, jackals, and bones. Contemplation of paintings such as this assists followers in overcoming fear of death. In this image, the dead body is overlaid with the dual principles of the divine in Hindu thought: male and female, passive and active, matter and energy, light and dark, and Shiva and Shakti in the copulative act of generating new creation even in the context of death and dismemberment.

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

A detail to notice

This Devi painting is from a series made in the Pahari Kingdom of Mandi. The CMA also has another from the same series, 2014.650 .

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected sheet measurement for Tantric Devi on Shiva, from a Mandi Devi Series is 26.2 cm wide and 20.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 10.3 × 8.1 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.27:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.05 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 8.7% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 136.9 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 Tantric Devi on Shiva, from a Mandi Devi Series in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 26.2 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?