Ramkali Ragini: Folio from a ragamala series (Garland of Musical Modes)
Unknown Artist
ca.1680
Medium
Ink and opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions
14 9/16 x 8 3/4 in. (37 x 22.2 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture
India (Rajasthan, Mewar)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Roger Fund, 1954
Accession Number
54.174
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite folio, *Ramkali Ragini* from a Ragamala series ("Garland of Musical Modes hails from the Mewar region of Rajasthan, India, around 1680. Ragamala paintings are a poetic fusion of music, poetry, and visual art, where each *ragini* (a melodic mode derived from a *raga*) is personified evocative scenes, often drawing from Hindu mythology and romance. Created by an unknown artist in the vibrant Mewar school of miniature painting, this work uses ink and opaque watercolor on paper to capture intricate details in a compact 14 9/16 x 8 3/4 in. format. The composition likely evokes the m...