MET MUSEUM BLOG
By Marina Ruiz Molina
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| Rama Releases the Demon Spies Shuka and Sarana: Folio from a Ramayana 'Siege of Lanka' Series,ca. 1725
Attributed to Manaku |
Three artworks now on view in the exhibition
Seeing the Divine: Pahari Painting of North India provide an extraordinary glimpse into the creative process of the Pahari school of painting, especially that of the enigmatic painter Manaku, who was active at the Guler court of Northern India from around 1725 to 1760. These impressive large folios were part of an important commission that Manaku never finished—a series on the "Siege of Lanka" episode from the Ramayana. Because the three paintings were left at different stages of completion (see details above), they serve as invaluable time capsules of studio practice. Each artwork represents a specific stage within an elaborate painting method that transformed the narrative scenes of the Ramayana from bold sketches into exquisitely detailed color renderings. [
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| Details of three folios of a Ramayana "Siege of Lanka" series, ca. 1725. Attributed to Manaku. India (Punjab Hills, Guler). 1. Rama and Lakshmana Overwhelmed by Arrows, detail. Ink on paper, page: 23 1/2 x 33 in. (59.7 x 83.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1919 (19.24.4). 2. The Monkey Leader Angada Steals Ravana's Crown from His Fortress, detail. Ink and opaque watercolor on paper, 22 3/8 x 33 in. (56.7 x 83.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1919 (19.24.2). 3. Rama Releases the Demon Spies Shuka and Sarana, detail. Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper, 23 1/2 x 32 3/4 in. (59.7 x 83.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1919 (19.24.1) |
