This dramatic scene from the Rāmāyaṇa depicts the demon-king Ravana abducting Sita, the wife of Rama. As Ravana attempts to carry Sita away to his island kingdom of Lanka, he is confronted by Jatayu, the noble king of the vultures and a devoted ally of Rama. The moment captured here is Jatayu’s valiant yet tragic defeat, while Sita shields her eyes in horror. Ravi Varma’s powerful composition conveys remarkable dynamism and theatricality. This oleograph closely resembles a 1906 painting commissioned by the royal court of Mysore in the 1890s under Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, which remains at Jaganmohan Palace. An alternate version of the painting, made in 1895 for another princely patron, shows Ravana suspended in mid-air while he grasps Sita and fights off her defender. Both paintings were unusual for Ravi Varma in showing a scene of violence and bloodshed, highlighting Ravana’s cruel triumph, Sita’s terror and Jatayu’s bravery.