What appears to be a mundane village scene at first glance in this natural pigment on canvas painting, is a beautiful scene from the classic Sanskrit playwright Kalidasa’s creation “Maalvikagnimitra”, a romance of Malvika and Agnimitra. The artist has chosen to depict a profound scene that carries the cultural beauty and belief of ancient India, with a lovely green tone ruling the canvas. This color is associated with fertility in nature and auspiciousness in life.
The canvas shows two women in the front, one princess Malvika, and the other her friend, seated on a lotus platform in relaxed poses. According to the play of Kalidasa, when Malvika was suffering from the pain of separation from her beloved, her Sakhi or friend suggested that she does a particular ritual, in which she applied Aalta or red tint on her feet and touched an Ashoka tree with her feet. Doing this, as per traditional beliefs was bound to bring Agnimitra to her sooner.
One can observe the red tints on the feet of Malvika and a bowl of Aalta in the foreground. An Ashoka tree is depicted on the right side of the viewer. On each side of the canvas are motifs associated with love and conjugal bliss- a pair of swans and a lotus flower. As she readies herself for the ritual of love, Malvika imagines her union with Agnimitra, a dream that is painted on the background, amplifying the romantic essence of this artwork.
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