Artists Drawing Draupadi
We’ve all read the Mahabharata, or atleast seen a pop culture rendition of one. While the epic has numerous heart-wrenching and valorant moments, none is as tear-jerking as the injustice against Draupadi. Despite this, she remains strong and resilient. And artists have been taking note of it. Often depicted as a symbol of dignity and justice, Draupadi’s narrative intertwines themes of honour, betrayal, and empowerment.
From traditional Kalighat paintings to Udasi frescoes, artists have explored her character in diverse ways, capturing her multifaceted identities. Today, we discuss some of the most popular artists who have narrated the tale of Draupadi and her life through an earnest and eager brush.
1. Krishen Khanna
Krishen Khanna painted Draupadi in his 1986 piece, ‘The Humiliation of Draupadi. In this piece, he recreates the horrifying attack on Draupadi from the epic Mahabharata, where her husband Yudhishthir lost her in a dice game. Even as Duryodhana forces Draupadi to sit on his lap, we witness his lustful gaze as she covers her eyes in utter humiliation. There is a dog under a chair, which is the artist’s literal allusion to “unleashing the dogs of war” because Draupadi’s demand for justice ultimately triggers the Mahabharata conflict.
Courtesy – DAG
2. Yusuf Ali
Believe it or not, Draupadi was also depicted in the Persian translation of Mahabharata; ‘Razmnama,’ translating to ‘Book of War.’ It was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1574. The painting is a gold-heightened gouache on paper depicting Draupadi relaxing on a daybed in a pavilion while her attendants bring her refreshments. There are flaking areas and light white retouching, and Yusuf ‘Ali is inscribed beneath her.
Courtesy – Wikimedia Commons
3. Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma also painted multiple renditions with Draupadi as a subject such as ‘Draupadi at the Court of Virat’ (1897) and ‘Draupadi Vastraharan’ (1898). ‘Draupadi Vastraharan’ describes the original myth of the game of die. Varma’s first painting commissioned for the Picture Gallery in Trivandrum was ‘Draupadi at the Court of Virat.’ In the painting, Keechaka, who has feelings for Draupadi coerces her. While her husband Dharmaputra, posing as the court brahmin Kanaka, watches, she approaches Virat to ask for assistance.
Courtesy – Wikipedia
4. MF Husain
MF Husain, like Varma, has drawn multiple versions of Draupadi. These include, ‘Draupadi with a Die,’ ‘Draupadi (Mahabharata),’ ‘Untitled (Arjuna and Draupadi),’ amongst others. Husain in ‘Draupadi (Mahabharata)’ evokes the myth of her marriage to the Pandavas. Husain has here opted to exaggerate Draupadi’s stature in comparison to the Pandava brothers. The artist’s deviation from the epic’s original texts emphasizes Draupadi’s pivotal role in the story’s development, emphasizes the character’s complexity, and portrays her as a master of her destiny.
Courtesy – Art Salon
5. Bamapada Banerjee
Bamapada Banerjee also known as BP Banerjee drew the interpolation story in Mahabharata. A student of Raja Ravi Varma, his approach to painting is extremely literal. In the painting, he describes the tale of ‘Akshay Patra.’ To avoid being cursed by sage Durvasa, Draupadi prays to Lord Krishna, who performs a miracle making the sage and his student satisfied.
Courtesy – The British Museum
6. MV Dhurandar
MV Dhurandar painted two popular versions of Draupadi. Although the subject matter is the same, ‘Draupadi In The Kaurava Court’ and ‘Untitled (Draupadi Vastraharan)’ could not be different from each other. In ‘Untitled (Draupadi Vastraharan)’, he plays with shifting body language and facial expressions from each person in the courtroom. The delicate play of light along the endless yards of Draupadi’s delicate sari as it is being forcibly removed from her body, the vibrant yards that have been thrown at her feet, and the desperation and plea in her expression as she looks up at the faint shadow of Lord Krishna, to whom she pleads for assistance in maintaining her modesty—all demonstrate his extraordinary skill in portraying Draupadi.
Courtesy – hindu aesthetic via X
7. Nainsukh
The Indian painter Nainsukh, who worked in the small court of Guler in the Himalayan hills between 1735 and 1778, is credited with creating ‘The Disrobing of Draupadi,’ which dates to approximately 1760–1765. The folio is made on a sheet of wasli, a handmade paper with multiple layers that have been polished and painted with opaque watercolours. Tiny inscriptions in the regional Takri script identify the characters. The rug pattern with vertical red and brown stripes defines the lower half of the painting.
Courtesy – The Metropolitan Museum of Art
8. Ramgopal Vijaivargiya
‘Untitled (Draupadi and the Five Pandavas)’ is a painting by Ramgopal Vijaivargiya done in Gold paint and watercolour wash applied to paper. The Rajasthani painter depicts the five Pandava brothers alongside Draupadi, their common wife, in twilight tones. They are worn out and fatigued as they meander through the forest. The painting follows the revivalist pictorial tradition’s formal influence based on the expression. The piece possesses an undeniable touch of nostalgia, maintaining its poetic expression within its characteristic Orientalist motif.
Courtesy – DAG
9. Anupam Sud
The Mahabharat War was sparked by an attempt to disparage Draupadi’s humility. After Lord Krishna saved her, Draupadi swore she would not tie her hair until her avenged. Anupam Sud uses a visual demarcation in ‘Draupadi’s Vow’ to highlight the contrast between the two situations. With her hair untied, Draupadi dominates the image plane, her five defeated husbands in the background. Unlike Draupadi, the woman on the right of the print is contemporary. Clad in a bikini and high heels, she struts around with confidence, displaying her sexuality and defying anyone who looks at her to interpret her however they see fit.
Courtesy – DAG
Image Courtesy – Bodhikshetra via WordPress
