The Abduction of Sita: lecture

The key turning point of the great Indian epic the Ramayana is the abduction of the heroine Sita by Ravana, king of the demons. The episode of the abduction has long fascinated sculptors and painters as well as poets and performers. It challenges their abilities to represent complicated interlocking events taking place in multiple locales, while suggesting the hero Rama’s apprehension, his brother Lakshmana’s vexation, Sita’s confusion, and Ravana’s lust for domination. The question of whether Ravana actually touches Sita as he kidnaps her seems straightforward, but in fact has troubled audiences for centuries. In a lecture titled The Abduction of Sita: Does Ravana Touch Sita?, Forrest McGill, Wattis Senior Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, will use a rich variety of examples from the visual and performing arts to throw light on the important historical and contemporary implications of the question.