INDIA, KANGRA, CIRCA 1785-1800

The painting illustrates the Ramayana episode when the demon king Ravana attempts to trick the kidnapped Sita into marrying him. The Ramayana series from which this painting comes is thought to have been commissioned by the Kangra ruler Sansar Chand during the last quarter of the 18th century. It has strong similarities with a slightly earlier or possibly contemporary series, which was executed at Kangra circa 1775, and with which it is sometimes confused. Both sets are of almost identical size, but the inner border of the present series is dark blue with gold arabesque decoration, whereas that of the other set is a solid band of black (see, for example, two leaves from this closely related series in D. Ehnbom, Indian Miniatures, New York 1985, nos. 116-118). Two paintings from this series are published in P. Pal, The Classical Tradition in Rajput Painting from the Paul F. Walter Collection, New York, 1978, p. 186.