One of the few paintings by Raja Ravi Varma that depicts violence and bloodshed, this scene is taken from the Indian epic Ramayana. Ravana cuts off Jatayu's wing when the bird attempts to rescue Sita from his evil clutches as he abducts her to Lanka. Jatayu is the loyal devotee of Rama and tries to stop the demon king from taking Sita. The scene is set in a desert, or a dry, arid area.