This painting illustrates an episode from the great Hindu epic, Ramayana, the story of Rama and the rescue of his wife Sita, who was abducted by the evil Ravana and taken to the kingdom of Lanka. Here Ravana’s younger brother Vibhishana comes to meet Rama in the forest. Vibhishana was a devotee and ally of Rama, and had repeatedly warned and implored his brother to return Sita to Rama. When his pleas continued to fall on deaf ears, Vibhishana, with four of his demon allies, defected and crossed the ocean to find Rama. Here, the artist depicts the moment when Vibhishana touches Rama’s feet, and is anointed by Lakshmana, while the monkey armies, including Anggada and Sugriva, look on. The large body of swirling water that Vibhishana crossed in order to reach Rama dominates the composition of the painting. In the distance are tiny figures of the demons left behind in Lanka. Vibhishana pledged to fight for Rama, who in turn promised to place Vibhishana on the throne of Lanka, once Ravana was killed.

This folio has been attributed to a dispersed series of Ramayana illustrations from the late eighteenth century, painted in the kingdom of either Kangra or Guler. The stylistic similarities between paintings from this region of the Kumaon hills make precise attribution often difficult. This style is notable for the tenderness of its line and the subtlety of its palette.