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Identification and Creation

Object Number
2011.97
Title
Lakshmana Removes a Thorn from Rama's Foot
Classification
Albums
Work Type
album folio
Date
c. 1700-1710
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India, Himachal Pradesh
Culture
Indian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/217354

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; Pahari Style, Basohli School
Dimensions
17.5 x 26 cm (6 7/8 x 10 1/4 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Philip Hofer [mid 20th century]. Stuart Cary Welch, Jr. Collection, New Hampshire (by 1969-2011), sold; [Sotheby’s, London, 5/31/2011, lot 54]; to Harvard Art Museums, 2011.

Notes:
This painting came to Harvard Art Museums on 1 April 1969 as temporary loan TL17444.214, and in 1983 was designated as long term loan, 440.1983.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Richard Norton Memorial Fund
Accession Year
2011
Object Number
2011.97
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
The painting depicts Rama, the seventh avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu, who is worshipped as a god in his own right, supported by two of his warrior companions, while a thorn removed from his foot by his brother, Lakshmana. On the far right is the bear-king, Jambavan, who gestures in conversation with one hand while holding a quiver in the crook of his arm. On the far left is the monkey-god Hanuman, who carries his iconic mace in one hand, while resting the other on top of a black shield. The painting represents a scene from the Sanskrit epic, the Ramayana (Story of Rama). Pahari style, Basohli school.

Publication History

  • Stuart Cary Welch and Mark Zebrowski, A Flower from Every Meadow: Indian Paintings from American Collections, exh. cat., New York Graphic SocietyNew York Graphic Society (New York, NY, 1973), p. 70, fig. 37

Exhibition History

  • India: From Tribe to Court, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 07/23/1981 - 07/23/1981
  • Out of the Hills: Miniature Painting from Himalayan India, Fogg Museum, Cambridge, 05/26/1984 - 07/08/1984
  • Hot as Curry - Subtle as Moonlight: Masterpieces of Rajput Painting, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/02/1991 - 12/20/1991
  • Recent Acquisitions, Part II: Building the Collection, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 06/19/2012 - 09/29/2012
  • The Rama Epic: Hero, Heroine, Ally, Foe, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, 10/21/2016 - 01/15/2017

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Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu