Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita in the Chitrakuta forest, folio from a Ramayana

Object Details

• Artist

  Attributed to Master of the Jagged Water's Edge

• School/Tradition

  Mewar school

• Description

  Amidst a series of colorful land fantastically imagined trees, Rama, Lakshmana and Sita wander along the banks of a lotus-strewn river. A pair of cranes and two deer, along with many ducks swimming in the river, emphasize the idyllic beauty of the forest.

• Inscriptions

  recto

  || rām || ayodhyā || 6 pache rām lakśman || gangā re tat || van

  dekhtā cālyā ||

  Ram[ayana]. Ayodhya. 6 Behind Rama, Lakshmana. On the

  banks of the Ganges. Walking, they see the forest

  banks of the Ganges. Walking, they see the forest

• Label

  Amidst a series of colorful land fantastically imagined trees, the three protagonists wander along the banks of a lotus-strewn river. A pair of cranes and two deer, along with many ducks swimming in the river, adds to the natural element of the scene. Birds and bees abound within the trees.

  Rama addresses Sita: “...see the blossoming trees on every side, like unto flaming torches! Look at the Kimshuka Trees with their diadem of flowers; winter is at an end! Here are the Bhallatakas and Bilvas little valued by men; they are bowed under the weight of flowers and fruit, which one cannot eat. O Lakshmana, see the honey the bees have left hanging on each tree, which is gathered in jars. The Natyuha is calling and the Shikhin replies in this ravishing wood , that is carpeted with flowers.…This wonderful and level place that is covered with innumerable trees and is pure, this Chitrakuta Wood would be a pleasant dwelling place for us, O Friend.”

• Provenance

  2004

  Sam Fogg, Ltd., London, purchased from unknown source in the United Kingdom [1]

  2004-2018

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim, purchased from Sam Fogg, Ltd. [2]

  From 2018

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchase and partial gift from Catherine Glynn Benkaim [3]

  Notes:

  [1] The object was purchased by Sam Fogg “from [a] UK trade, 2004,” but was unable to provide provenance information prior to 2004. See email from Catherine de Meillac, Sam Fogg, Ltd., to Debra Diamond, Curator for South and Southeast Asian Art, November 28, 2017, copy in object file. Object is described as “Folio from a Ramayana – Lakshmana and Sita,” stock code 10321.

  Sam Fogg, Ltd., in London, England was established in 1986 and specializes in art of the European Middle Ages and has also held sales of Islamic, South Asian and Tibetan art. The gallery initially focused on books and manuscripts from the Middle Ages, but expanded to include panel paintings, sculpture, stained glass, textiles, and treasury objects from that period. The gallery has also exhibited at art fairs, including European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) New York, TEFAF Maastricht, Frieze Masters (London), and Masterpiece London. Clients include private collectors and institutions, such as museums and libraries.

  [2] See curatorial notes titled “Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita in the Chitrakuta forest, folio from a Ramayana,” dated May 2019, pp. 154-155, copy in object file.

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim is collector and scholar in the field of Indian painting. Ms. Benkaim met her husband, Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), in the 1970s when she was the curator of Indian painting at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Ralph Benkaim was an entertainment lawyer from Los Angeles who started collecting Indian and Islamic art in 1961. The couple were married 1979 and together they amassed a collection of Indian paintings, which included examples from all genres. They collected objects for their collection through dealers and auctions. Objects from their collection may also be found in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Williams College Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, among others.

  [3] See “Appendix B Bill of Sale” and “Appendix C Donor Substantiation Letter,” dated January 2, 2018, copy in object file.

  Research updated January 25, 2023

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  A Splendid Land: Paintings from Royal Udaipur (November 19, 2022 to May 14, 2023)

  Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior (February 20 to October 2, 2011)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Sam Fogg, Ltd. (established 1986)

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim

• Origin

  Mewar, Rajasthan state, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1690s, 1670s

• Name

  Benkaim, Catherine Glynn, Fogg, Sam

• Place

  Rajasthan state, Mewar, India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Landscapes, Ramayana, Art, Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection, Sita, Lakshmana

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings