The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Rama and Sita in the royal palace (recto), from a Kalighat album

Rama and Sita in the royal palace (recto), from a Kalighat album

c. 1890
(Indian, active late 1800s)
Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat
Woodcut, hand colored with gum tempera
Secondary Support: 29.7 x 47.7 cm (11 11/16 x 18 3/4 in.); Print only: 24.1 x 33 cm (9 1/2 x 13 in.)
Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward 2003.156.a
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Rama's devoted monkey followers Hanuman and Sugriva are seated before the throne.

Description

The finale of the Ramayana presents Rama and Sita enthroned as the rightful rulers of the kingdom of Ayodhya. They are surrounded by Rama’s brothers, their loyal monkey allies, sages, and nobles. The balanced, symmetrical composition evokes the peace and stability that Rama’s millennia-long reign will bring to the kingdom.

The artist has anachronistically set the scene in an 1800s Calcutta mansion, complete with glass sconces and lamps hanging from the ceiling. Since Calcutta (now Kolkata) was the epicenter of British colonial power, this imagery suggests a desire to reinstate Hindu rulership over India.
  • ?–2003
    William E. Ward [1922–2004], Solon, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2003–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Imagining Rama's Journey (Indian Painting rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 10-September 17, 2023).
  • {{cite web|title=Rama and Sita in the royal palace (recto), from a Kalighat album|url=false|author=Shri Gobinda Chandra Roy|year=c. 1890|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2003.156.a