Artwork Page for Todi Ragini, from a Ragamala Series

Details / Information for Todi Ragini, from a Ragamala Series

Todi Ragini, from a Ragamala Series

c. 1755

Eastern India, Bengal, Murshidabad, 18th century

Medium
Gum tempera and gold on paper
Measurements
Page: 28.6 x 19 cm (11 1/4 x 7 1/2 in.); Miniature: 23.5 x 15.3 cm (9 1/4 x 6 in.)
Credit Line
Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection 2013.340
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Ragamala paintings were recognized as being associated with a season and time of day. Evoking a late morning in spring, here a young woman beguiles deer from the woodlands with her music to prevent them from destroying the crops in the field. The saturated hues and romantic idealization of the scene continue idioms begun in the Mughal court that were disseminated to regional centers of patronage such as Murshidabad. The inscription at the top of this page identifies the name, ragini todi, in Arabic script, which suggests that this ragamala series was made for a Muslim patron.
A vertically oriented gum tempera and gold painting depicts a woman with medium-light skin tone facing our left on a rolling green hill. Dressed in a patterned orange and yellow gown, she holds a long-necked stringed instrument while gesturing toward two deer. Lush trees rise against a pale blue sky featuring an upper-left golden sunburst and script. At the bottom, white herons wade in a dark stream filled with lilies.

Todi Ragini, from a Ragamala Series

c. 1755

Eastern India, Bengal, Murshidabad, 18th century

See Also

  • Collection
    Indian
  • Department
    Indian and Southeast Asian Art
  • Type of artwork
    Painting
  • Medium
    Tempera
  • Credit line
    Gift In Honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by Exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork