Bhairava Raga
Painting
ca. 1770 (made)
ca. 1770 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This painting is part of a Ragamala – a ‘garland of melodies’ or set of paintings in which each note has a specific colour and iconographic characteristics and the images represent modes (scales) of Indian music. It depicts the cowherd Radha embracing the blue-skinned Hindu god Krishna and illustrates the mode ‘Bhairava Raga’. The couple are seated on a low couch on the terrace of a building, surrounded by female attendants and musicians, while a formal garden can be seen in the background, with men ploughing and gathering crops.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Bhairava Raga (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, Bhairava Raga, Radha embracing Krishna, opaque watercolour on paper, Hyderabad, ca. 1770 |
| Physical description | Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, Radha embracing Krishna. A Ragamala illustration to the musical mode Bhairava Raga. Ragamala paintings illustrate poetry dealing with musical forms and instruct musicians on the mood and notes of a piece. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | Radha embracing Krishna. A Ragamala illustration to the musical mode Bhairava Raga. |
| Styles | |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This painting is part of a Ragamala – a ‘garland of melodies’ or set of paintings in which each note has a specific colour and iconographic characteristics and the images represent modes (scales) of Indian music. It depicts the cowherd Radha embracing the blue-skinned Hindu god Krishna and illustrates the mode ‘Bhairava Raga’. The couple are seated on a low couch on the terrace of a building, surrounded by female attendants and musicians, while a formal garden can be seen in the background, with men ploughing and gathering crops. |
| Bibliographic reference | Khanna, Balraj; Krishna: The Divine Lover, South Bank Centre, London 1997, ISBN 1 85332 166 4
cat. no. 49 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.186-1950 |
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| Record created | December 2, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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