Rama and Sita enthroned with Lakshmana and Hanuman attending, from a Kalighat album

Description

Rama and Sita sit enthroned under a royal parasol held by Rama’s brother Lakshmana. A diminutive Hanuman kneels before them in adoration. The stunning mix of vibrant color animates the otherwise static scene. The local Indian artists who created inexpensive paintings for visitors to the temple at Kalighat were accustomed to creating rapid watercolor paintings with collapsed perspectives and flat backgrounds. Since their workshops were near the British colonial capital of Calcutta (now Kolkata), they were aware of British fashions, such as the Prince Albert mustache.

Provenance

William E. Ward [1922–2004], Solon, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–2003); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2003–)

Rama and Sita enthroned with Lakshmana and Hanuman attending, from a Kalighat album

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c. 1890

Accession Number

2003.152

Medium

Gum tempera, graphite, tin, and ink on paper

Dimensions

Painting: 45.5 x 27.5 cm (17 15/16 x 10 13/16 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward