Rama and Lakshman with the sage Vishvamitra, from a <em>Ramayana</em>
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1680-1690
name: label: Artist
content: Attributed to the Master of Style II of the ‘Shangri’ Ramayana
notes: label: School/Tradition
content: Kulu school
label: Description
content: The scene takes place outside Ayodhya, in the uncultivated forest zone where ascetics dwell. The boys raise their hands respectfully as they listen to the divine sage Vishvamitra, who has brought them to the forest zone in order to kill the demons who disturb holy men. Vishvamitra wears an animal skin over one shoulder and carries a water pot (kundika). With their bows and arrows slung across their bodies, the brothers have long wavy sideburns, large lotus-shaped eyes, and richly colored jamas. All three figures bear red Vaishnava tilaks (forehead marks). The landscape is a glowing field of golden yellow, sandwiched between a thin strip of cloudy sky and a narrow band of tufted grass. A deep maroon river borders the foreground. With its shaggy tufts of dark green, the tree is made marvelous by a vine of absolutely massive fig leaves.
label: Inscriptions
content: Inscribed on the reverse in Nagari: Bala; and the numeral 47 in nagari and takri script.
label: Provenance
content: Raja Raghbir Singh, Shangri, Kullu Valley, India.
label: Provenance
content: To 1964
label: Provenance
content: Ray E. Lewis (1923-2005), San Francisco, California. [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1964 to 2001
label: Provenance
content: Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), Beverly Hills, California, purchased from Ray E. Lewis. [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 2001 to 2018
label: Provenance
content: Catherine Glynn Benkaim, Beverly Hills, California, by inheritance from Ralph Benkaim in 2001. [3]
label: Provenance
content: From 2018
label: Provenance
content: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, partial gift and purchase from Catherine Glynn Benkaim. [4]
label: Provenance
content: [1] Ralph Benkaim purchased the painting in December 1964 from R.E. Lewis Gallery of San Francisco, eight years before Indian paintings were classified as antiquities by the Indian government. This according to his personal records via Catherine Glynn Benkaim.
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [3] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [4] See Acquisition Justification Form, object file, Collections Management Office.
label: Collection
content: National Museum of Asian Art Collection
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Raja Raghbir Singh
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: R. E. Lewis, Inc. (active 1952-1999)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Ralph and Catherine Benkaim
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Catherine Glynn Benkaim (born 1946)
place: label: Origin
content: Bahu or Jammu, Himachal Pradesh state, India
topic: label: Topic
content: Ramayana
label: Topic
content: Rama
label: Topic
content: India
label: Topic
content: South Asian and Himalayan Art
label: Topic
content: Vishvamitra
label: Topic
content: Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection
setName: label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: S2018.1.9
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Opaque watercolor on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (painting): 19 × 29.2 cm (7 1/2 × 11 1/2 in)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (overall): 22.2 × 32.4 cm (8 3/4 × 12 3/4 in)