Description
Seated on a lotus in the yoga lotus position (padmasana), Lakshmi (wife of Vishnu and goddess of fortune, prosperity, and beauty) is flanked by elephants that anoint her and express their devotion by bathing her with water from the pot held aloft with their trunks. The lotus seat serves as a throne while the elephants’ trunks form an arch within which she is enshrined.
Provenance
William E. Ward [1922-2004], Solon, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?-2003); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2003-)
Accession Number
2003.149
Medium
Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper
Dimensions
Secondary Support: 60.7 x 42.4 cm (23 7/8 x 16 11/16 in.); Painting only: 43 x 27.7 cm (16 15/16 x 10 7/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward
