Shakuntala
The artist
Raja Ravi Varma, a celebrated Indian painter who blended Indian stories with European painting styles.
What you see
A graceful young woman named Shakuntala pretending to remove a thorn from her foot while secretly looking back for the king she loves.
The story
Painted in 1870, it shows a moment from a famous ancient Indian play about Shakuntala and King Dushyanta.
The style
Ravi Varma painted with soft, realistic light and shading so the people look almost like a photograph, which was new in India.
Look closer
Watch her clever excuse: she bends toward her foot, but her eyes glance back, and her friends can tell she is really thinking of love.
Where to see it
The painting belongs to the collection of an Indian art gallery, and copies made it loved all across India.
Fun fact
Ravi Varma later started a printing press so cheap copies of his paintings could reach ordinary homes everywhere.