c. 1635-1640
The Enticement of Rishyashringa
Artist/maker unknownThis painting shows an episode from the
Ramayana, one of the great Hindu epics. Rishyashringa, a young sage who lived in an isolated forest, was so pure and blessed that a gentle rain perpetually fell on him. One day, a king whose lands were afflicted by drought sent two beautiful young women to tempt Rishyashringa to come to his kingdom, so the sage's rain would replenish the withering crops.
The extensive Ramayana from which this page comes represents one of the first landmarks in Malwa painting. The simplicity of the composition conveys the story with extraordinary clarity. The naked ascetic with his matted hair and the two buxom women stand and gesture as if in a play, while four trees and the empty background efficiently create the lonely forest setting, filled only with the hermit's shrinelike dwelling.
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