George Keyt - Intepretation and Conclusion

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In Keyt’s interpretation, he depicts the golden swan with a bright radial aura surrounding him.

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Praying to him with her palms together is a fair skinned woman, most likely the widow, as she appears to be dressed in traditional village women’s clothing.

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Beside her, smiling gently, is a dark skinned male.

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Using cultural context, he could be seen as one of the wife’s family members or even simply a local admirer.

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This moderately encompasses the elements of the tale and could be interpreted as the woman appreciating his generosity or her seeking forgiveness for her actions, the golden feathers restored.

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Overall, Keyt’s “Hansa Jataka” painting conveys this tale’s key themes of generosity and appreciation

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It bridges the gap between ancient buddhist philosophy and contemporary art forms and it allows us to deeply consider and analyse these cultural implications of the painting as a whole.