Seated Vishnu
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
Praying before an icon of a Hindu god is like having an audience with a king: the worshipper bows and brings praise and offerings in hope of finding favor. Seated images of Vishnu often invite comparison to an enthroned ruler: the god sits with one leg pendent, a pose associated in Indian culture with royalty and a state of casual ease. His posture, his smile, and the way that he leans slightly forward all suggest that he is happy to speak with the visitor. He holds the conch shell and discus (here shown in profile), which emit small flames, an indication of their great power.
Caption
Seated Vishnu, 8th–9th century. Granite, 60 x 29 x 12 in., 900 lb. (152.4 x 73.7 x 30.5 cm, 408.24kg). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Alice Boney, 86.133. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.133_PS2.jpg)
Collection
Collection
Title
Seated Vishnu
Date
8th–9th century
Dynasty
Pallava to Chola
Period
Pallava Period to Early Chola Period
Geography
Place made: Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, India
Medium
Granite
Classification
Dimensions
60 x 29 x 12 in., 900 lb. (152.4 x 73.7 x 30.5 cm, 408.24kg)
Credit Line
Gift of Alice Boney
Accession Number
86.133
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at
