L'armée des singes et des ours au secours de Rama

India, Pahari School, circa 1840-1850 Gouache on paper Size: 23 x 17 cm The dramatic composition is brilliantly executed and conveys the chaos of the battlefield. In the foreground, Rama, accompanied by his brother Lakshmana, receives support from Hanuman (king of monkeys) and Jambavan (king of bears) to fight the demon Ravana. In the background, a battalion of monkey soldiers is already engaged in a ferocious battle against the demons, assaulting them with rocks, tree branches, weapons and even their bare hands and teeth, causing a veritable bloodbath. Riding a white elephant made up of monkeys, Lakshmana (Rama's younger brother) aims his arrows at Indrajit, Ravana's son, who is riding a black elephant. As Lakshmana and his team advance, the resplendent golden fortress of Ravana's court comes into view in the distance. Earlier in the epic, Ravana kidnapped Rama's wife Sita. Provenance : Former German collection, acquired before 2007. An Illustration from a Ramayana: Hanuman and his monkey army wreak havoc upon the demons, gouache heightened with gold on paper, India, circa 1840-1850.