Artwork Page for Hanuman with Rama and Lakshmana on his shoulders, from a Kalighat album

Details / Information for Hanuman with Rama and Lakshmana on his shoulders, from a Kalighat album

Hanuman with Rama and Lakshmana on his shoulders, from a Kalighat album

c. 1890

Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat

Medium
Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper
Measurements
Overall: 68.8 x 42.6 cm (27 1/16 x 16 3/4 in.); Painting: 45.6 x 29.4 cm (17 15/16 x 11 9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward 2003.120
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Hanuman can change his size and form at will, even making himself colossal in order to carry the two princes.

Description

A simplified but bold color palette of orange, yellow, and green with silvery accents gives this image of Rama, Lakshmana, and their monkey ally Hanuman a sense of rhythm and urgency. Riding on Hanuman’s shoulders, the hero Rama—painted green—and his brother Lakshmana search for Rama’s abducted wife Sita. At the bottom of the painting, an informal scrawl contemplates the identification of the colossal figure as either the “Great Hero” Hanuman or Sugriva, but the image of a devoted tawny monkey carrying the two brothers unambiguously indicates Hanuman, Rama’s most faithful follower.
A vertically oriented gum tempera painting features Hanuman, a red-skinned figure with a black mustache and long tail, lunging toward our left. He wears a yellow crown and metallic jewelry, raising a yellow club. Perched on his shoulders, the green-skinned Rama and light-skinned Lakshmana hold bows. Flat, saturated colors define the figures against an unpainted background. Cursive text at the bottom reads "Mahabir Sugriva or Hanuman."

Hanuman with Rama and Lakshmana on his shoulders, from a Kalighat album

c. 1890

Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat

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