Forest Animals

Date2009

Label TextIn this forest abode, an array of animals is visible: elephants, giraffes, antelopes, and tigers that peek their heads from behind trees. Completed in the Madhubani style of painting originating from the Mithila region of Bihar of north India, this painting retains the style’s expressive and strong brushstrokes. Mithila paintings are consistently two-dimensional—neither horizon lines nor perspectival lines are attempted—so the animals appear flat and seem to float across the painting. The spaces around their heads are brimming with flowers and foliage, creating much visual interest.

Object number2021.32.22

ProvenanceThe artist or Mithila Art Institute; purchased by Ethnic Arts Foundation, Berkeley, California, 1977-2014; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2021

Photo CreditPhoto: Scott Leen

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view July 28, 2022 - Jan. 8, 2023].Published ReferencesSzanton, David L. and Malini Bakshi. Mithila Painting: The Evolution of an Art Form. San Francisco: Ethnic Arts Foundation, 2007.

Credit LineGift of David Szanton on behalf of the Ethnic Arts Foundation

DimensionsPainting: 30 x 22 in. (76.2 x 55.9 cm) Frame: 33 1/2 x 25 3/8 in. (85.1 x 64.5 cm)

MediumAcrylic paint, paper