Rama and Sita in the royal palace (recto), from a Kalighat album
1890
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1890
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Rama and Sita in the royal palace (recto), from a Kalighat album is a 1890 by Shri Gobinda Chandra Roy, a Impressionism work, depicting Bengal, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows Rama and Sita sitting on a throne in a fancy 1800s Calcutta house, surrounded by family and friends. The room has glass lamps and sconces, like something from a wealthy home at the time. The artist mixed an ancient Hindu story with modern details. Instead of a palace from the *Ramayana*, we see a mansion from 1800s Bengal. It’s like seeing a myth in your own neighborhood. To see more art like this, look up kalighat.
The finale of the Ramayana presents Rama and Sita enthroned as the rightful rulers of the kingdom of Ayodhya. They are surrounded by Rama’s brothers, their loyal monkey allies, sages, and nobles. The balanced, symmetrical composition evokes the peace and stability that Rama’s millennia-long reign will bring to the kingdom. The artist has anachronistically set the scene in an 1800s Calcutta mansion, complete with glass sconces and lamps hanging from the ceiling. Since Calcutta (now Kolkata) was the epicenter of British colonial power, this imagery suggests a desire to reinstate Hindu rulership…
Rama's devoted monkey followers Hanuman and Sugriva are seated before the throne.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Shri Gobinda Chandra Roy (b. 1800) was an Indian artist.
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