Lot Essay
As the first avatar of Vishnu, Matsya warned Manu, the first man, of an impending flood and ordered him to collect examples of all the grains and living creatures of the world into a great boat, which Matsya pulls to safety during the deluge that destroys the rest of the world. Later versions of the story add that the Vedas are hidden by the demon Sankhasura (literally, "conch-demon"), whom Matsya slays to recover the sacred scriptures, as illustrated in the present work. A later work from nearby Garhwal with nearly identical composition to the present painting is in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (IM.21-1917); it is dated 1860-70 and additionally depicts Manu and other survivors in a boat.