Who painted Hanuman revealing Rama and Sita in his heart?

Hanuman revealing Rama and Sita in his heart was painted by Unknown in 1865.

Where can I see Hanuman revealing Rama and Sita in his heart?

Hanuman revealing Rama and Sita in his heart is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is Hanuman revealing Rama and Sita in his heart?

Hanuman revealing Rama and Sita in his heart is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Hanuman revealing Rama and Sita in his heart

Unknown , 1865

Hanuman revealing Rama and Sita in his heart is a paint painting by the Impressionist artist Unknown. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

The composition is rendered on paper with vivid, flat colours and bold outlines typical of a particular 19th‑century Indian school.

The work portrays the Hindu deity Hanuman, depicted as a blue‑skinned, squatting figure whose chest is opened to expose two smaller characters seated on a red cloth. The inner figures represent Rama and Sita, positioned within Hanuman’s heart as a symbol of devotion and protection. The composition is rendered on paper with vivid, flat colours and bold outlines typical of a particular 19th‑century Indian school.

Subject & Meaning

In this scene Hanuman reveals the divine couple Rama and Sita inside his chest, echoing a mythological episode where the monkey‑king demonstrates his unwavering loyalty by offering his heart to the divine pair. The inclusion of a broken string of pearls, a reference to Sita’s gift of a necklace, underscores themes of sacrifice, devotion, and the intimate bond between the devotee and the divine.

Technique & Style

Executed with opaque water‑colour pigments mixed with tin alloy, the painting employs the rapid brushwork and simplified forms characteristic of the Kalighat school. The palette is bright yet flat, with strong black contours that define figures without gradation. The use of tin alloy for the pearl necklace adds a metallic sheen, while the overall surface remains matte, reflecting the commercial, quickly produced nature of the genre.

Context

Kalighat painting emerged in the bustling neighborhoods of Calcutta during the mid‑1800s, a period marked by British colonial influence and rapid social change. Artists catered to a growing urban clientele, adapting traditional religious narratives to contemporary visual tastes. This piece illustrates how local mythic content was rendered in a modern, accessible format, bridging devotional art with the visual language of a colonised society.