Shiva And Parvati Or Lima-Maheshvara

When looking at art I tend to be drawn towards Asian art it has a certain calm feeling to it. While at Ringling I discovered a work of art that would fit perfectly into my subject area. It is called Shiva and Parvati or Lima-Maheshvara. It was found in Nepal at around the 17th or 18th century. It is made of sandstone and pigments like a lot of art from that era. This statue shows the lord Shiva and his wife Uma sitting upon a lotus flower with sweet smiles and peaceful glances. This art was made for Hindu believers. Hinduism is more or less a set of beliefs instead of an organized system. Many Hindus look up to Shiva or Vishnu as their leaders. Shiva himself is known as destroyer of the world. I find it strange that even Shiva
In one you see a destroyer of life and all things evil and his side of Hinduism. While in the other sculpture you see a lord who protects all living things and order. Two completely opposite forces come together to show us life itself. The subtle balance between the good and the evil. It seems as if in Hinduism the protection of life is more important than life itself or that the creation of life is just a measly step in our existence. Or even how the destruction of life and horrible habits make up a huge piece of us as human beings. These works of art fit perfectly into their culture and their belief of a higher being than yourself. They are not some rebellious photo of some unknown god or selfish person. They show gods that were once worshipped and still are worshipped by millions of people world wide. I believe that these works and the meanings behind them do represent challenges to humanity. It challenges us to let go of the bad things we drag around with us to stop worrying about just ourselves for once, which is represented by the lord Shiva. Another challenge comes from the lord Vishnu. It is as if what he represents tell us to not let our humanity slip away from us we must work together like all three lords to preserve it. In the Stele of Vishnu it seems as if the creation of life and destruction of life are able to balance out and create a good representation and ratio of us as humans. These works of art help make life more meaningful by showing people the proper way life is supposed to be lived. You are supposed to be worried about other people more than yourself because you are just a tiny piece of humanity as a whole. It is also showing that if you see yourself as a smaller being you will be better able to preserve your humanity as a