Accession Number
2007/2.123

Title
Religious Ceremonies and Customs of the People of the World: Incarnations (Avatars) Five through Eight of Vishnu

Artist(s)
Bernard Picart

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1722

Medium & Support
copper plate engraving on paper

Dimensions
16 9/16 in x 10 3/8 in (42.1 cm x 26.3 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Professor Walter M. and Nesta R. Spink

Label copy

These images illustrate incarnations of the Hindu deity Vishnu, one of the three most powerful Hindu deities. Vishnu, the preserver or sustainer, is thought to take material form whenever a crisis of evil threatens to throw o the balance of the cosmos—by subduing evil and its sources, he restores cosmic balance. Vishnu can take many forms, called avatars or incarnations. The top left image is his fifth incarnation—Vamana. In the top right, Vishnu appears as Parashurama, wielding an axe. In the bottom left, Vishnu appears in form of Rama and in the bottom right he appears in his eighth and most beloved incarnation, Krishna. 

Subject matter
These images illustrate incarnations of the Hindu deity Vishnu, one of the three most powerful Hindu deities: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Vishnu, the preserver or sustainer, is thought to take material form whenever a crisis of evil threatens to throw off the balance of the cosmos—by subduing evil and its sources, he restores cosmic balance. Vishnu can take many forms, called avatars or incarnations. The top left image is his fifth incarnation—Vamana. In the top right, Vishnu appears as Parashurama, wielding an axe. In the bottom left, Vishnu appears in form of Rama and in the bottom right he appears in his eighth and most beloved incarnation, Krishna. 

Physical Description
This print contains four distinct scenes demarcated by boxes which depict four different incarnations of a deity. 

Primary Object Classification
Print

Primary Object Type
intaglio print

Collection Area
Western

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
Hinduism
copper engraving (printing process)
deities