Religion is my fandom now.

centuriespast:

Krishna Carried Across the River

In the story of the god Krishna’s life on earth, he is born to a royal family but must be taken from the palace immediately in order to hide him from an evil uncle. This unusual painting shows the circumstances of this departure. In the dark of night, while everyone in the palace is asleep (a small gazebo at right stands in for the palace), Krishna’s father carries him across the river Yamuna to the rural community where Krishna will be raised. The father is barely visible here at the center, holding the baby above his head while the giant serpent Vasuki stands above them, offering protection. A lion on the opposite bank of the river might represent the dangers facing them at night, as does the monkey at the upper right and the bolt of lightning. In the upper left is a temple with Krishna enthroned at the center; his four arms indicate that this is his transcendent form, the form that continued to exist in heaven even as he was incarnated as a mortal down on earth. The painting presents the various elements of the story in different areas of the page without attempting to synthesize them into a single scene or setting. This approach is frequently found in Indian painting, which often strives to tell the whole story rather than attempting to capture a single moment.

• Culture: Indian
• Medium: Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
• Dates: First half 19th century
• Brooklyn Museum

(via fuckyeahsouthasia)

vintagesareeblouse:

Her complexion was dark, her eyes were like lotus leaves, her hair was blue and curly, her nails were beautifully carved and they were like bright copper, her eyebrows were fair. 

That description is of Draupadi, who along with Satyavati, Devayani and the earth herself are all mentioned as dark/copper coloured women in the Mahabharata. 

Nevertheless there is an ambivalence regarding skin colour in India where even a dark goddess like Parvati has a fair form. 

In miniature paintings, women are more often than not depicted with a fair skin tone though a maid may be depicted as dark skinned - however there are exceptions to this too. 

The Deccan miniatures are often similar to their northern counterparts.  But I was a little intrigued by this painting since nothing by way of dress or ornament or composition immediately suggests a difference in social class, instead it seems a matter of fact depiction of varying skin tones found in India.  Unfortunately details of the painting are not provided at the link (apart from the title Ladies on a Terrace). 

(via poc-creators)

(via rraaaarrl)

therurrjurr:

Draupadi with her five husbands - the Pandavas. The central figure is Yudhishthira; the two on the bottom are Bhima and Arjuna. Nakula and Sahadeva, the twins, are standing.

Painting by Raja Ravi Varma, c. 1900.

fuckyeahdutchhistory:

On this day in Dutch history

On the 18th of March 1380, Liduina (or Lidwina) was born in Schiedam. She is a Catholic Saint and patron of the chronically ill, ice skaters and Schiedam.

Her official feast day is the 14th of June, although her birthday and the day she died (14th of April) are sometimes also used.

When Liduina was 12, she rejected a marriage proposal as she wanted to dedicate her life to God. At 15, she fell when she was out skating with friends. In this fall, she broke a rib and suffered from gangrene. In the years following the fall, she became paralysed and spent the rest of her life in bed.

She started to fast, and saw visions of Rome, heaven, hell and purgatory. Pieces of her body also fell off. Her parents kept these in a vase, which gave off a sweet odour. Liduina also gained fame as a healer, and she was visited by many people who were impressed by her. The chronically ill were especially comforted by Liduina’s courage.

Liduina eventually died aged 53, in 1433. Her body was taken to the graveyard of the Sint-Janskerk in Schiedam. However, her coffin was not buried, as Liduina didn’t want the earth to come into contact with her body anymore, as she hadn’t touched the earth for so long during her life. It became a place of pilgrimage, and in 1434 a chapel was built.

She was officially canonized by Pope Leo XIII on the 14th of March 1890. Her relics rest in the Church of St. Liduina in Schiedam, which was elevated to a minor basilica in 1990 by Pope John Paul II. It is now known as the Basilica of Liduina.

Some historians think that, going by some of the historical documents describing Liduina’s illness, that she had multiple sclerosis. It would explain why Liduina didn’t become paralysed immediately after her fall, but first had walking difficulties before her condition became worse.

(above: Liduina of Schiedam’s fall, depicted by Johannes Brugman in 1498)

salome-daughter-of-herodias:

TUMBLR PLEASE HELP!

My Stepfather said that if this post gets 500,000 notes he’ll bring me the head of John the Baptist! Please reblog!

(via lirillith)