Nala and Damayanti
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Nala and Damayanti is a 1890 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a man in a yellow cloth sitting under a tree with thick black branches. Below him, a woman in a red dress with gold patterns lies on the ground, her head resting on a red snake. The colors are bold—bright yellows, deep reds, and stark black—and the style is simple, with flat shapes and strong outlines. The snake’s coiled body and the man’s calm pose hint at a story from Indian mythology. This kind of painting comes from a tradition called *kalighat*, which often depicted scenes from Hindu texts. Check out more about kalighat to see how these paintings told stories.
The painting depicts Nala preparing to depart as Damayanti remains asleep in a forest setting, rendered in watercolour and tin alloy on cardboard around 1890.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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