A scene from the Ramayana: Hanuman visits Sita

A scene from the Ramayana: Ravana is vanquished

INDIA, MEWAR, CIRCA 1640

Details

A scene from the Ramayana: Ravana is vanquished
India, Mewar, circa 1640
Sita seated on the outside terrace of a palace on an island surrounded by water, speaking with the monkey Hanuman, who is shown several more times as he approaches the palace, water and in general flying through the air, with Rama and Lakshmana seated in conversation with the monkey army at lower right, an inscription in yellow at top
Opaque pigments and gold on paper
10 x 16 in. (26 x 40.6 cm.)

Provenance

Private collection, Germany
Private collection, United States, acquired in Europe in the mid-1980s

Lot Essay

Ravana kept Sita captive at Ashoka Vatika, the garden in Lanka. Every day, Sita would meditate under a tree and think upon how to escape and as the days wore on and Ravana's advances become even more ardent, her thoughts turned to suicide. As she contemplated her escape, Hanuman appeared with proof that he was sent as Rama's emissary to find Sita and urge her not to give up hope, that Rama was coming to rescue her. This painting shows Hanuman leaving Rama (lower right) and journeying to the island of Sri Lanka, where he meets with Sita to tell her their plan.

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