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Rama and Lakshman

Painting
ca. 1660- ca. 1670 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Basohli (made)

Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, Rama in a deep yellow dhoti woefully recounts to Lakshman the abduction of Sita by the demon Ravana. Lakshman is in an orange-red dhoti and yellow scarf listens with clasped hands. Green background.

Object details

Categories
Paintings
Hinduism
Religion
Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project
Object type
Painting
TitleRama and Lakshman (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour on paper
Opaque Watercolour
Paper
Paint
Painted
Brief description
Painting, Rama telling Lakshman of Sita's abduction, opaque watercolour on paper, Basohli, ca. 1660-1670
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, Rama in a deep yellow dhoti woefully recounts to Lakshman the abduction of Sita by the demon Ravana. Lakshman is in an orange-red dhoti and yellow scarf listens with clasped hands. Green background.
Dimensions
  • With border height: 225mm
  • Width: 255mm
  • Height: 170mm
  • With border width: 320mm
Red border with thin silver margin, white rules and shaded surround; a tree slightly projecting into the left border.
Content description
Rama in a deep yellow dhoti woefully recounts to Lakshman the abduction of Sita by the demon Ravana.
Style
Basohli
Marks and inscriptions
  • (written in Takri at top)
    Translation
    'the state of remembering'
    Transliteration
    'simaran dasa'
  • (written in Takri on left border)
    Transliteration
    '124'
  • [verse from the Rasamanjari] (written in Sanskrit on reverse; translation by Randhawa and Bhambri (1967))
    Translation
    'Fearing lest the agony of Lakshmana increase, Rama neither expresses his own pain, nor heaves hot sighs, nor lets his eyes fill with tears. Pining away in the fever of love, which burns like a fierce fire fanned by a strong wind, he remembers Sita constantly'
Gallery label
(27/9/2013)
RAMA PINING FOR SITA
Opaque watercolour and gold with applied beetle wing-case fragments on paper
Basohli, Punjab Hills
c. 1660-70
IS.51-1953
From the collection of
Sir William Rothenstein
This comes from a series of paintings illustrating the Rasamanjari or ‘blossom-cluster of delight’ by the poet Bhanudatta, which classifies the behaviour of lovers.
Rama (right) is an incarnation of the god Vishnu and hero of the Ramayana epic. His wife Sita has been abducted by the demon Ravana. A verse on the back explains that Rama tries to hide his great sorrow lest he increase the agony of his brother Lakshmana (left), who was supposed to protect Sita.
Object history
From the collection of Mr. Michael Rothenstein; IS.46 to 73-1953 were purchased for £300.
Subjects depicted
Deities
Demon
Rama
Lakshmana
Bibliographic references
  • Indian paintings from the Punjab Hills : a survey and history of Pahari miniature painting / by W. G. Archer ; foreword by Sherman E. Lee. London :Delhi: Sotheby Parke Bernet ;Oxford University Press, 1973 Number: 0856670022 p.38. cat. no. 4 xv
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.51-1953

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Record createdJuly 20, 2000
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O41829/rama-and-lakshman-painting-unknown/
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