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Lot Essay
The present painting represents the final scene of the Ramayana, as Rama and Sita are gloriously reunited after exile, abduction and war. They are attended to by Rama’s brother Lakshmana, waving a flywhisk above the couple, and their trusted companion Hanuman, who pays homage to the newly reunited couple. All of the figures are delicately rendered as Mughal-style courtiers, dressed in fine jewels and silks. Hanuman glistens from a subtle layer of gold brushed across his fur.
The image of Rama and Sita enthroned became a popular standalone illustration, often independent of Ramayana series. Usually vertical in format, rather than the horizontal format which are more commonly employed in epic series, these devotional portraits present Rama and Sita as north Indian royalty. They sit within their white marble pavilion on a superb hexagonal gold throne, surrounded by colorful textiles and carpets, and a view into the palace enclosure every day activity.
Compare the present painting to a contemporaneous work signed by Nainsukh’s son Kama at the San Diego Museum of Art (Edwin Binney 3rd Collection, acc. no. 1990.1283) which employs a similar color palette and a close likeness in the artist’s portrayal of Rama and Sita. An ambitious portrait of the enthroned pair attributed to the Kangra court artist Purkhu, published by M.S. Randhawa, in Kangra Valley Painting, Delhi, 1954, plate 26, demonstrates the important painting tradition of the scene. A earlier mid-seventeenth century painting from the Kronos Collection, previously on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (loan no. SL.23.2019.1.1), from a known Vishnu Avatara series, speaks to the lasting impact of the present composition and its employment in various series.
The image of Rama and Sita enthroned became a popular standalone illustration, often independent of Ramayana series. Usually vertical in format, rather than the horizontal format which are more commonly employed in epic series, these devotional portraits present Rama and Sita as north Indian royalty. They sit within their white marble pavilion on a superb hexagonal gold throne, surrounded by colorful textiles and carpets, and a view into the palace enclosure every day activity.
Compare the present painting to a contemporaneous work signed by Nainsukh’s son Kama at the San Diego Museum of Art (Edwin Binney 3rd Collection, acc. no. 1990.1283) which employs a similar color palette and a close likeness in the artist’s portrayal of Rama and Sita. An ambitious portrait of the enthroned pair attributed to the Kangra court artist Purkhu, published by M.S. Randhawa, in Kangra Valley Painting, Delhi, 1954, plate 26, demonstrates the important painting tradition of the scene. A earlier mid-seventeenth century painting from the Kronos Collection, previously on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (loan no. SL.23.2019.1.1), from a known Vishnu Avatara series, speaks to the lasting impact of the present composition and its employment in various series.