VARMA 2024.283

In this oleograph, Vishnu, the preserver within the Hindu trinity, is depicted seated on his vāhana (mount), Garuda – an eagle-like deity shown clutching a serpent in his claws. Vishnu is flanked by two female figures representing the dual aspects of Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and fortune: her spiritual and worldly forms. This print has been intricately embellished by an unknown artisan, who later applied fabric and zardozi (metal thread embroidery) to the surface. Rich textiles have been stitched directly onto the figures’ garments, while Vishnu’s jewelled crown and garland have been rendered with added dimensionality. Vishnu is venerated as the sustainer of dharma (cosmic order) and is believed to manifest on earth through ten principal avatars (incarnations), including Rama and Krishna. Ravi Varma’s depiction humanises the divine, making it more accessible to devotees, while the added embellishments reflect a devotional practice of enhancing mass-produced sacred images with precious materials.