Rama and Sita enthroned with Lakshmana and Hanuman attending, from a Kalighat album
Unknown Artist
c. 1890
Medium
Gum tempera, graphite, tin, and ink on paper
Dimensions
painting: 45.5 × 27.5 cm · secondary support: 47.8 × 29 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward
Accession Number
2003.152
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
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), ...