Hanuman revealing Rama and Sita in his heart
1865
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1865
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Hanuman revealing Rama and Sita in his heart is a 1865 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a blue-skinned figure squatting with its arms crossed, revealing two smaller figures inside its chest. The outer figure has a dark, horned headdress and a tail, while the inner scene shows one greenish figure and one yellowish figure sitting on a red cloth. The colors are bright but flat, with bold outlines and no shading. The inner figures look like they’re being protected inside the larger one’s chest. This style is part of the *kalighat* tradition, which often mixes bold colors with religious stories. Look up kalighat to see more paintings like this.
The painting depicts Hanuman, the monkey king, opening his chest to reveal the figures of Rama and Sita within his heart, rendered in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper. He wears a broken string of pearls, executed in tin alloy paint, referencing an episode where Sita presented him with the necklace at court. This work is characteristic of Kalighat painting, a 19th-century art form that emerged in Calcutta during British colonial rule, known for its vivid colours, simplified forms, and rapid brushwork. The piece reflects local mythology and cultural narratives amid the societal changes…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
