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Bhairava raga

Painting
ca. 1660 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Malwa (made)

A raga is a traditional Hindu musical form. This painting is from a dispersed set of pages called a ragamala ('garland of ragas'), in which each raga is represented by a scene or person. The image shown here has usually been identified as Bhairava raga. This raga is typically represented by the Hindu god Shiva with a lady in a palace setting. The figure shown here, however, is the god Krishna, recognisable by his blue skin and peacock-feather crown, so this identification may need to be re-assessed. The bold colours and flat composition are typical of the painting style of Malwa, in central India, from about 1650-1700.

Object details

Categories
Paintings
Hinduism
Religion
Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project
Object type
Painting
TitleBhairava raga (generic)
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour on paper
Opaque Watercolour
Paper
Paint
Painted
Brief description
Painting, Bhairava raga, Krishna and lady, opaque watercolour on paper, Malwa, ca. 1660
Physical description
Painting, opaque watercolour on paper, scene of Krishna and a lady in a pavilion, from a Ragamala series illustrating the musical mode Bhairava raga.
Dimensions
  • Height: 226mm (maximum)
  • Width: 167mm (maximum)
  • Image within innermost painted border height: 184mm
  • Image within innermost painted border width: 146mm (maximum)
12/06/2013 dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing project; object and painted borders irregular in shape
Content description
Krishna and a lady in a pavilion, from a Ragamala series illustrating the musical mode Bhairava raga.
Style
Malwa
Object history
Purchased through Maggs Bros.
Subjects depicted
Trees
Building
Deity
Woman
Pavilion
Krishna
Summary
A raga is a traditional Hindu musical form. This painting is from a dispersed set of pages called a ragamala ('garland of ragas'), in which each raga is represented by a scene or person. The image shown here has usually been identified as Bhairava raga. This raga is typically represented by the Hindu god Shiva with a lady in a palace setting. The figure shown here, however, is the god Krishna, recognisable by his blue skin and peacock-feather crown, so this identification may need to be re-assessed. The bold colours and flat composition are typical of the painting style of Malwa, in central India, from about 1650-1700.
Bibliographic references
  • Swallow, Deborah and John Guy eds. Arts of India: 1550-1900. text by Rosemary Crill, John Guy, Veronica Murphy, Susan Stronge and Deborah Swallow. London : V&A Publications, 1990. 240 p., ill. ISBN 1851770224, p.137, pl.117.
  • Topsfield, Andrew, An introduction to Indian Court Painting, H.M.S.O., London, 1984, 0112903835 frontispiece
  • Swallow, D., Stronge, S., Crill, R., Koezuka, T., editor and translator, "The Art of the Indian Courts. Miniature Painting and Decorative Arts", Victoria & Albert Museum and NHK Kinki Media Plan, 1993. p. 115, cat. no. 96
  • Ayers, J. Oriental Art in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 1983, ISBN 0-85667-120-7 p. 78
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.55-1952

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O15468/bhairava-raga-painting-unknown/
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