1995.73: Meghamallar Ragini (painting, recto), from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) Series

Identification and Creation

Object Number

1995.73

Title

Meghamallar Ragini (painting, recto), from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) Series

Classification

Paintings

Work Type

painting

Date

early 17th century

Places

Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan, Sirohi

Culture

Indian

Persistent Link

https://hvrd.art/o/310659

Physical Descriptions

Medium

Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Dimensions

image: 16.5 x 12.3 cm (6 1/2 x 4 13/16 in.)
framed: 48.58 x 38.42 x 2.22 cm (19 1/8 x 15 1/8 x 7/8 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift in gratitude to John Coolidge, Gift of Leslie Cheek, Jr., Anonymous Fund in memory of Henry Berg, Louise Haskell Daly, Alpheus Hyatt, Richard Norton Memorial Funds and through the generosity of Albert H. Gordon and Emily Rauh Pulitzer; formerly in the collection of Stuart Cary Welch, Jr.

Accession Year

1995

Object Number

1995.73

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Contact

am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

Permissions

The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request.

Descriptions

Description

The Meghamallar Ragini is visualized as a prince or Krishna dancing in the rain. It is a joyful melody associated with the nighttime and the monsoon rains in July–August. In the painting, the bejeweled prince is in the center, holding a veena and dancing joyously in the forest. On either side are female musicians; one of them plays a double-faced drum or a mridangam, while the other plays cymbals or a manjira. The sky is filled with clouds, signifying the incoming rains. Storks fly in the sky, enhancing the auspicious atmosphere. The trees are laden with blossoms. This painting is a pictorial metaphor for a raga, a musical phrase that is used as the basis for improvisation, belonging to a Ragamala or “Garland of Melodies” series. Rajput, Rajasthani, Sirohi School.

Exhibition History

• Indian Harvest: Part 1, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/30/1995 - 01/21/1996
• Rajasthani Miniatures: The Welch Collection at the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University, The Drawing Center, New York, 04/16/1997 - 06/07/1997

Verification Level