INDIA, MALWA, CIRCA 1630

Originally composed by Valmiki in the fifth or fourth century BCE, the Ramayana or the story of Rama’s journey is one of India’s oldest and most popular epics. As well as being an engaging epic, it is also an important devotional text. In the present composition, Rama appears to be soliciting the help of Hanuman in rescuing his kidnapped wife, Sita. This painting, as well as that to the right, can be classified by their flat execution, distinct palette, and large fields of solid color, as executed in the Malwa style.