Rama and Sita, Hanuman and Satyabhama
1885
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1885
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Rama and Sita, Hanuman and Satyabhama is a 1885 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows four figures in bright, flat colors. A seated man in blue and gold holds a bow, while a woman beside him wears red and black. A standing figure in white holds a fan, and a small child crouches below. The background is a plain blue, with no depth. The seated man has a blue face with white markings, a style tied to *kalighat* paintings. These were made in Kolkata and often showed Hindu stories. Look up kalighat to see more paintings like this.
The painting depicts Rama and Sita seated on a couch, with Hanuman standing nearby, while Satyabhama, Krishna’s second consort, kneels on the ground. Rendered in opaque watercolour on paper, the work dates to 1885 and is attributed to an unknown artist. It was later acquired in 1894 from Miss M Steele, whose mother, a Sanskrit scholar at Cambridge, had inherited the piece; Steele noted that her grandmother, who had lived in India, may have originally collected the work.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
