Woodcuts by Albrecht Durer: An Exhibition of Print Connoisseurship, Emory University Museum of Art and Archaeology, April 8 - June 7, 1986|
Invention and Revival: Northern European Prints, Michael C. Carlos Museum, February 12 - May 15, 2005]]> Image: 30 x 26 in. (76.2 x 66 cm)]]> 15 3/8 in High x 11 in]]> Mat: 10 1/2 x 8 3/16 in. (26.7 x 20.8 cm)]]> 16 in High x 18 in]]> 15 1/2 in High x 11 in]]> 50 in High x 32 in]]>
Reading the painting from left to right, Ravana carries Sita away from her opulent hermitage in the highly stylized forest while Rama chastises to Lakshmana over the corpses of Maricha and the golden deer.

The juxtaposition of these two scenes in painting is unusual, and the focus on Lakshmana suggests that a failure of fraternal duty leads to Sita’s abduction as much as the villainy of Ravana. By ignoring his elder brother’s command, Lakshmana ignores his duty. All around, flowers blossom in vibrant colors, contrasting the perfection of nature with the failings of Lakshmana.
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