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Jatayu, Ravana and Sita

Unknown

1830

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century Mythology

Dominant colour

Jatayu, Ravana and Sita is a 1830 paint by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1830 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a bright blue man in fancy clothes riding a giant yellow bird with green wings. The bird has a long beak and claws, and it’s carrying the man toward a small red-roofed pavilion. Inside the pavilion, a green-robed figure sits on a raised platform, watching them. The blue man holds a blue fan and a scroll, while the bird looks strong and powerful. The colors are bold and flat, with no shading to make things look real. Next, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more paintings like this.

The story of this work

Overview

The painting depicts Jatayu, a mythical vulture from the *Ramayana*, attempting to rescue Sita from Ravana, who carries her away in a chariot through the air. Jatayu is shown with his beak open, intervening in the scene, and is rendered larger than the other figures to emphasize his role. The work employs opaque watercolour on paper, using a palette dominated by yellow, pale pink, and green.

Read the full account in the museum source.