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First Night in Exile, Page from a Dispersed Ramayana Series

Asian Art

This painting illustrates the story of Prince Rama, who is wrongly exiled from his father’s kingdom, accompanied only by his wife and brother. On their first night outside of the palace the three royals have to sleep on the ground in outfits made of leaves. Rama’s brother (with white skin) talks with the leader of a forest-dwelling tribe, whose men bring provisions. The image was created in brighter shades, as was typical for Indian painting, and then the artist applied a thin wash of bluish-gray over the entire surface, like a veil or curtain, to create the effect of the gloom of night.
CULTURE Indian
MEDIUM Opaque watercolor on paper
DATES ca. 1775-1780
DIMENSIONS sheet: 9 5/8 x 13 7/8 in. (24.4 x 35.2 cm) image: 7 7/8 x 12 1/8 in. (20.0 x 30.8 cm)  (show scale)
COLLECTIONS Asian Art
ACCESSION NUMBER 80.181
CREDIT LINE Gift of Kaywin Lehman Smith
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
CAPTION Indian. First Night in Exile, Page from a Dispersed Ramayana Series, ca. 1775-1780. Opaque watercolor on paper, sheet: 9 5/8 x 13 7/8 in. (24.4 x 35.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Kaywin Lehman Smith, 80.181 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 80.181_IMLS_SL2.jpg)
IMAGE overall, 80.181_IMLS_SL2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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