Vishnu

English: Vishnu (Sanskrit:विष्णु) is one of the primary deities of Hinduism.

English: Vishnu blessing a worshiper, cast of sardonyx seal, Afghanistan or Pakistan, 4th-6th century CE, currently in the British Museum, London.
English: Vishnu seated upon the serpent Shesha, Cave 3, Badami Cave Temples, Karnataka, circa 6th Century CE, rock-cut sandstone sculpted in situ. Shesha is considered as both a servant and manifestation of Vishnu.
English: Anantashayana Vishnu, Dhenkanal district, Orissa, early 9th Century CE.
English: Gilt bronze standing figure, 10th century CE, currently in Brooklyn Museum, New York.
English: Vishnu and his avatars, black schist, 11th Century CE, currently in Brooklyn Museum, New York.
English: An idol of Lord Vishnu at Kumartuli Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal, North Kolkata, 2010.

English: Vishnu and Lakshmi on Shesha Naga, watercolour on paper, circa 1870, currently in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The Avatars of Vishnu

English: The Dashavatara are the ten major avatars of Vishnu.

Matsya

English: Matsya is the first of the ten primary avatars of Vishnu, taking the form of a giant fish, or of a human torso joined to the tail of a fish.

English: Sandstone, 9th-10th century, from central India, currently in the British Museum, London.
English: Matsya prepares to slay the demon, who had attempted to steal the vedas.
English: Gouche on paper, circa 1816, currently in the British Museum, London.
English: Matsya with the Vedas as infants, lithograph, Raja Ravi Varma Press, 1910-1920.

Kurma

English: Taking the form of a turtle Kurma, is the second Avatar of Vishnu.

English: Stele, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India, unknown date
English: During Samudra manthan, Vishnu in the form of Kurma aided the Devas in the churning of the Ocean of Milk, to produce the nectar of immortality to restore the Devas.
English: Kurma at Saptashrungi Temple