Draupadi's Vastraharan

In narrative paintings, such as this vastraharan (disrobing) scenes from the Mahabharata, the use of religious themes was a common practice, but due to the nature of stories, they could be hung outside the temple room. The artwork on the preceding pages, a direct copy from a European print of Dussehra celebrations at the royal Mysore court, makes an excellent case-study of artistic excellence from the nineteenth century. The architecture, royal throne and even the postures of seated people have been directly lifted from the monochrome engraving. However, the artist's limited skill is exposed when studying the tiles on the floor, which recede incorrectly against the perspective.