Rama and Sushena
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1890
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Rama and Sushena is a 1890 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kalighat, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a scene with three figures. The central figure is a man in a yellow shirt and red shorts, who appears to be injured or in distress. He is being held by another man, dressed in blue, who has a red and yellow cloth draped over his shoulder. A third man, wearing a purple robe, is kneeling beside them, holding the injured man's arm. The painting is done in a colorful, expressive style, with bold lines and vivid hues. The overall effect is one of drama and emotion, as if the scene is unfolding before our eyes. If you're interested in learning more about this style of painting, you might want to explore the Impressionism movement.
A watercolour and tin-alloy painting on paper illustrates a scene from the *Ramayana*, depicting Rama holding the wounded Lakshmana in his arms while consulting the physician Sushena for treatment. The work is identified as a Kalighat painting, a style that emerged in 19th-century Calcutta among artists from rural Bengal. Kalighat paintings were known for their vivid colours, simplified forms, and rapid brushwork. The historical context situates the artwork within a period when British India’s capital was Calcutta, influencing local artistic traditions.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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