Who painted Rama and Ravana?

Rama and Ravana was painted by Unknown in 1850.

Where can I see Rama and Ravana?

Rama and Ravana is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

Artwork

Rama and Ravana

Rama and Ravana is a paint painting by Unknown. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

The work is an opaque watercolor on paper, dating to around 1850, portraying a dramatic episode from the Indian epic Ramayana in which the hero Rama confronts the demon king Ravana. The composition is vibrant, populated by five figures rendered in striking hues against a simple red‑orange ground.

Subject & Meaning

The scene captures the climactic moment of Rama shooting an arrow at Ravana, a pivotal event symbolising the triumph of dharma over chaos. The figures, including a blue‑skinned deity, a red‑clad woman, a leaping monkey‑like being, and a man in yellow bearing a weapon, embody the narrative’s mythic characters.

Technique & Style

Executed in opaque watercolor, the painting employs bold, saturated colors and exaggerated anatomical features such as oversized eyes and multiple arms. The flat background of green hills and a pond emphasizes the kinetic energy of the figures, reflecting a stylised, folk‑art aesthetic common in 19th‑century Indian visual culture.

History & Provenance

The piece belongs to a larger album of 196 works—prints, paintings, and drawings—assembled by J. Lockwood Kipling between 1865 and 1893. The collection, largely composed of lithographs from Upper India and Bengal bazaars, was bequeathed to the museum in 1917 by Kipling’s son, the writer Rudyard Kipling.

Context

Created during a period when British officials and their families collected Indian art, the album reflects the cross‑cultural interest in regional visual traditions. The work’s subject, drawn from the Ramayana, underscores the enduring popularity of Hindu mythological themes in both elite and popular artistic production of the time.