1704
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Hanuman Brings the Mountain of Healing Plants; Rama Extracts the Arrow from Lakshmana as Hanuman and a Bear Prepare to Treat Him (recto), from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (Indian, died 1740) is a 1704 unspecified by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This long, narrow painting is carved into wood like a relief map. On the left, a monkey god carries a mountain full of plants. In the middle, a man pulls an arrow from another man’s shoulder while a bear and a monkey watch. To the right, a woman sits under a tree, holding a fan, while another man stands nearby. The scenes are packed with tiny figures, animals, and buildings, all outlined in dark lines against a light background. The carving is so detailed you could count the leaves on the plants. The artist used shallow cuts to create shadows, making some parts look raised. It’s like a storybook brought to life in wood. Look up chiaroscuro to see how this trick works in other art.
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