Rama and Lakshmana attack Tataka
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | Freer Gallery of Art , Washington D.C |
| Location History: | The painting is a part of the Manuscript-The Ramayana (Tales of Ramayana, The Freer Ramayana) Volume-1. In 1907 it was in the collection of Charles Lang Freer and then in 1920 it was shifted to the collection of The Freer Art Gallery; which is an art museum of the Smithsonian Institution located in Washington,D.C. |
In this painting I am struck by Rama and Lakshmana's showdown with the demoness Tataka. For me, the painting represents an example of proper power triumphing over uncontrolled energy. Tataka with her oversized red face, sharp claws, and towering presence seems like a monstrous embodiment of danger and disorder rather than the semblance of a real person. Rama and Lakshmana, on the other hand, look slight but their confident and elegant stance fills the painting, demonstrating strength through inner conviction not physically superior presence. The soft greenery and delicate script mute the battle into more of a procession and this contrast made me think that duty itself can be fierce and bloody yet beautiful and purposeful at the same time. It's possible this painting could be an example of dharma reasserting order upon the universe.