Gauri by Raja Ravi Verma

Gauri is an expression of a tender form of Parvati, the wife and consort of Shiva. In this image, Gauri is represented portrait-like, as if a depiction of a young woman of beauty, not of divinity. Her ‘other’ status is asserted only by the crown she wears, which along with her radiant halo, defines her divine status. In all other respects, she could be mistaken for a young woman prepared for her wedding day.