c. 1745

Rama at the Fortress of Laṅka

Painters, particularly those in western and northern India, frequently included consecutive narrative moments in a single painting. Here Hanuman is depicted repeatedly as a white monkey wreaking great havoc in Lanka. At top right, he is pictured three times scurrying around Ravana's palace in search of Sita. At bottom right, Hanuman bows in homage to Sita. At center, he attacks several demons as Rama and others join his valiant efforts. These scenes are not presented in sequential order, but instead appear as best suits the composition. The artist probably assumed that viewers were already familiar with the plot of the Ramayana and that they would easily understand this rather complicated illustration.