Hindu widow on funeral pyre. Antique print c1835.

by D'Urville, Dumont

Veuve Hindou se jetant dans le bucher. Karticeya, Dieu des Armées céleste. Young Hindu widow, and Kartikeya, Hindu god of war.

Also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha or Muruga, Kartikeya is generally described as son of the deities Shiva and Parvati, and brother of Ganesha. Kartikeya has been an important deity in India since ancient times. Mentions of Skanda in the Sanskrit literature date back to 5th century BCE and mythology relating to Kartikeya became widespread in North India around the second century BCE

Original engraving circa 1835 for Voyages Pittoresque Autour de Monde (Picturesque Voyages Around the World), which described and illustrated the discoveries on the voyage of Dumont d'Urville, as well as other noteworthy discoveries from previous explorers' voyages.

Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville (1790-1842), was a French naval officer who combined engravings after the drawings of his official expedition artist Louis Auguste de Sainson (1801-1887), with sketches and engravings from previous voyages (notably those from Captain Cook's third voyage between 1776 and 1780).

Most engravings were printed two per page, as with this one. The page measures 265 x 175mm (approximately 10.5 x 7 inches)