INDIA, DELHI OR PROVINCIAL MUGHAL, CIRCA 1800

The Ragamala, or garland of melodies, is a cycle of paintings each of which represents a specific musical mode associated with a time of day and a season. While the visual representations can vary greatly, a certain degree of iconographic consistency can allow the raga to be identified. Todi Ragini is conceived as a khandita nayika, or a woman who is separated from her lover. The lonely woman evokes a tender scene as she recites the raga to a group of deer, enchanted by her music.
Another painting from this series sold at Christie's South Kensington, 1 October 2012, lot 98.