A genre of miniature painting was developed in India, with these paintings depicting Indian myths, gods such as Shiva and Vishnu, kings, historical episodes, and love stories, all in wonderful detail and vibrant color. The style in which the figures are portrayed, the composition, and the other elements depend on when and where a particular work was created. This work was painted in colors which are indicative of Mewar, a region of Northwest India.

Ramayana is an epic poem from ancient India, and is also considered one of Hinduism’s sacred texts. In the poem, Sita, the wife of Prince Rama, is kidnapped by Ravana, the demon-king, and Rama sets off with a large army to confront the demon and save his wife.

The character Hanuman belongs to a race of monkey-like people who appear in Indian myths. In Ramayana, Hanuman discovers that Sita is being held on an island in the southern sea, and he brings this news to prince Rama. This piece shows Rama and Hanuman together at this meeting.