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Nov 19, 2012

Mar 20, 2014

Madhu Madhavi Ragini

c. 1630–40

Central India, Malwa

Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

Overall: 19.1 x 14.6 cm (7 1/2 x 5 3/4 in.)

Gift of J. H. Wade 1925.1336

Location

not on view

Description

One of the first paintings to be published and exhibited as an example of native Indian court painting without foreign stylistic influence, this work emphasizes the expression of mood and emotion rather than pictorial narrative. Through bold contrasting color, suggestive gaze, and poetic trope, the viewer accesses the charged excitement of lovers about to be united with the coming of the monsoon at night.

The reclining hero admires the alluring form of his beloved who, startled by the lightning and the cry of the peacock, stops and twists around in a dramatic pause that sets off her figure to especially good effect. She raises one hand to feel the first drops of monsoon rain that signal the beginning of the season of lovemaking, when her lover remains at home.

Inscriptions

Inscription

Inscription in Hindi on reverse: Madhu Madhavi, the ragini of Hindol: a heroine who has come to her lord. The eye sees less than all and is at variance with thought (paraphrased from Coomaraswamy, 1916); title repeated in Persian.

Provenance

?-1925

Ananda K. Coomaraswamy [1877-1947] sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art

1925-

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Citations

The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 767 archive.org

Sickman, L. C. S. Masterpieces of Asian Art in American Collections. New York: Asia Society, 1960. Mentioned: cat. no. 31d, pp. 58, 64; Reproduced: p. 58

Lee, Sherman E. and George Montgomery. Rajput Painting; with an introductory essay and catalogue notes. New York: Asia House, 1960. Reproduced: p. 16; plate 4(a)

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 238 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 238 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 306 archive.org

Exhibition history

Rajput Painting. Asia House, New York, NY (December 3, 1960-January 22, 1961).

Indian Miniature Rotation (Gallery 115). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (August 13, 2003-February 18, 2004).

Indian Miniature Rotation (Gallery 115). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (August 18, 2004-May 23, 2005).

The Silver Jubilee Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 23-September 28, 1941).

India's Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 2, 1949-January 22, 1950).

The Seasons as Represented in Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 4-September 9, 1954).

Rajput Painting. The Asia Society Museum, New York, NY (organizer) (November 30, 1960-January 22, 1961).

Dance of the Gods: Indian Art Inspired by Music. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-December 8, 1996).

Indian Gallery 242 Rotation – April-November 2017. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (April 10-November 6, 2017).

Cite this page

{{cite web|title=Madhu Madhavi Ragini|url=https://clevelandart.org/art/1925.1336|year=c. 1630–40|access-date=29 November 2023|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

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Madhu Madhavi Ragini

Madhu Madhavi Ragini

Central India, Malwa

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