Page from a Ragamala Series: Patamanjari Ragini (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

ca. 1640
Indian, Rajasthan, Bikaner
Manuscripts
Paintings
Works On Paper
opaque watercolor and ink on paper
Place Made,India,Rajasthan, Bikaner
Sheet: 9 × 5 15/16 in. (22.86 × 15.08 cm)
Mat: 20 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.64 cm)
97.98

From the same ragamala set as the painting to the left—much of which appears in the adjacent gallery—this painting portrays Malashri Ragini. The third wife of Bhairava Raga, and thus the fourth painting in its series as noted in the inscription above, Malashri is invariably depicted as a lady with flower blossoms. Here, she sits on a palace terrace, cooled from the afternoon heat by the shade of an orange awning and an attendant with a fan. She holds pink lotus blossoms, of the sort growing in the nearby lake, in each hand, and listens absentmindedly to the plaintive strains of a female musician playing a bowed instrument. Staring into the deep distance, she laments her lover’s absence.

Ink inscription in upper and lower borders
Friends of Indian Art and Robert A. and Ruth W. Fisher Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.