Late 19th century

Funeral Pyre

This picture-story painting may show the funeral pyre of Indrajit, magical son of the demon Ravana in the epic Ramayana. Two large officiants offer garlands to the sacrificial fire while two bowmen, pictured in Maratha-style turbans, appear to shoot arrows into it. The eye and arm visible within the flames may be those of Indrajit's widow, who carried Indrajit's head into the blazing pyre. As in most picture-stories, the background is unpainted, showing the mass-produced European paper on which such works were usually done.