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Shakuntala
Raja Ravi Varma · Realism & Academic
- Artist
- Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906)
- Date
- 1898
- Dimensions
- 110 x 181 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Sree Chitra Art Gallery, Thiruvananthapuram, India
This painting shows Shakuntala, heroine of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata and of Kalidasa's famous play, standing in a forest with two companions. She pretends to remove a thorn from her foot so that she can turn and steal one last look at King Dushyanta, with whom she has fallen in love.
A closer look
Ravi Varma combined subjects from Indian mythology and literature with the techniques of European academic oil painting: realistic anatomy, soft modelling of light and rich colour. Shakuntala's graceful pose, the draped sari and the lush forest setting give the scene a theatrical charm, while her backward glance captures the whole story of a sudden, secret love. Images like this one defined how generations of Indians imagined the heroes and heroines of their epics.
More by Raja Ravi Varma
Famous works elsewhere
- There Comes Papa 1893
- Nair lady Adorning Her Hair 1873
- Galaxy of Musicians 1889
- Reclining Woman 1902
- Shakuntala Patra-lekhan 1876
- Kadambari 1910