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Jatayu, Sita and Ravana

Unknown

1865

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Mythology

Dominant colour

Jatayu, Sita and Ravana is a 1865 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1865 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a bright yellow eagle-like creature with green wings holding a red-roofed palace in its claws. Inside the palace, two figures sit: one in a blue crown and red robes, the other in a red dress with a child. A white horse stands outside the palace, tied to a post. The eagle’s face has a simple circle for an eye, and the figures inside look like they’re in a storybook scene. The bold colors and flat shapes make it feel like a mix of fantasy and everyday life. If you like this style, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more works like it.

The story of this work

Overview

The painting from 1865, rendered in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, depicts the mythological scene of Jatayu attempting to rescue Sita from Ravana. It was donated to the University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Cambridge by Mrs Western of Langrookside, Havant, Hampshire, and later transferred to the present collection.

Read the full account in the museum source.