Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja)
In this sculpture, the Hindu divinity Shiva, depicted as the Lord of the Dance (Nataraja), performs a cosmic dance that sets in motion the rhythm of life and death. Considered one of the most sublime images in Indian art, the dancing Shiva destroys everything, allowing creation to start all over again. His right leg, planted on the demon of darkness, stamps out ignorance.
Details
- Palette
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- Medium
- Bronze
- Dimensions
- 69.3 × 61.8 × 24.1 cm (27 1/4 × 24 1/4 × 9 1/2 in.)
- Origin
- Tamil Nadu
- Department
- Arts of Asia
- Holding institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image provider
- art-institute-chicago
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Kate S. Buckingham Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
10 tags
Subject Matter
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Deities and Holy Figures Both · 99%
The central figure is explicitly identified in the catalog as the Hindu deity Shiva and is visibly presented with a crown, multiple arms, and religious attributes.
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Movement Both · 98%
The raised leg, bent supporting leg, extended arms, radiating hair, and surrounding flames create a strongly dynamic dancing pose; the catalog identifies the subject as Nataraja, Lord of the Dance.
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Mythology and Religion Both · 98%
The sculpture is a Hindu religious image whose iconography refers to Shiva, cosmic dance, the sacred Ganges, and the triumph over ignorance.
Visual Qualities
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Curvilinear Forms Both · 96%
The circular flame aureole, flowing locks, bent limbs, and looping contours create a dominant structure of arcs and curved lines.
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Highly Ornamented Both · 95%
The crown, jewelry, hair, aureole, pedestal, and flame forms contain abundant repeated decorative detail.
Medium and Techniques
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Sculpture Both · 99%
The image shows a freestanding three-dimensional figure with an attached aureole and pedestal, and the catalog classifies the work as sculpture.
Geographic Regions
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South Asian Art Metadata · 99%
The work is identified as originating in Tamil Nadu, India, and the catalog lists its style as South Asian.
Materials
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Bronze Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies the medium as bronze; the image shows a cast-looking metallic surface with a green-brown patinated appearance.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Hindu Art and Architecture Metadata · 99%
The catalog explicitly identifies the subject as Shiva and classifies the image as Hindu religious art.
Antiquities, Artifacts, and Religious Objects
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Ceremonial Object Metadata · 89%
The catalog states that icons of this type were carried in procession during religious ceremonies, supporting their ceremonial function.
Source & rights
India Tamil Nadu. Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja). The Art Institute of Chicago.