Madhumadhavi Ragini

Madhumadhavi Ragini is a detailed Indian miniature from the so-called “Berlin” Ragamala series, painted in Mughal period in 1605-6. It is part of the series of eighteen Raginis, each representing a particular musical mode. The picture depicts Madhumadhavi Ragini, the eighteenth in the series. The woman in the painting is dressed in a particular blue bodice and hurrying in the dark night. The Sanskrit inscription mentions the name of the character and describes her running like night through dark tamala trees with the black bark associated with Krishna’s skin. The picture combines poetic and musical elements, as well as natural and emotional features typical of the Ragamala genre. The picture is dominated by a combination of subdued but bright blue tones, green colors, yellow shades, and dark elements. In this painting, the artist focuses on the figure of a woman in a blue bodice, which is emphasized by contrasting colors. The landscape is also presented in a schematic way: the trees are drawn on the ground, making them similar to clouds, and not realistic. This placement of the trees gives the work its peculiar scenery. Other elements, such as fine lines and a special rendering technique of translucent colors, represent the unique style of Indian miniature-painting of the early 17th century. The painting is especially important as a member of the so-called “Popular Mughal” group of pictures. The place of origin of these pictures is still controversial; they could be painted both in Agra for Rajput patrons connected to the Mughal court and for the Rajput courts of Amber, Jodhpur, Bikaner. The attribution of this group of pictures to the master Salivahana working in Akbar’s atelier is also possible. Individual characteristics such as the combination of blue, green, and yellow colors can be found in works attributed to him. Thus, Madhumadhavi Ragini is a valuable historical source reflecting the cultural connection between the Mughal and Rajput courts and the artistic exchange between them. The picture of Madhumadhavi Ragini is significant in another sense: it combines various components of the Ragamala tradition, including literary, musical, pictorial, and symbolic elements. The work reflects the peculiarities of the Indian miniature painting, which undertook the task of illustrating the rich poetic texts describing the different Ragas and Raginis. These poems were composed in verse, most often in Sanskrit, but sometimes also in Persian. All this made it possible to create the Ragamala series as one of the most complex, profound, and philosophical genres of miniature-painting.