Artwork
Woman Addressing a Peacock: Gujari Ragini of Megh, from a Ragamala
Woman Addressing a Peacock: Gujari Ragini of Megh, from a Ragamala is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1690 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work titled *Woman Addressing a Peacock: Gujari Ragini of Megh, from a Ragamala* is a painted composition that depicts a seated female figure on a balcony, gesturing toward a peacock with its plumage fully displayed. The scene is framed by architectural elements with domed roofs, a red awning, and a prominent green plant, all rendered in vivid, flat colors.
Subject & Meaning
The female figure, dressed in a blue‑pink costume and holding a fan, appears to be addressing the peacock, an animal traditionally linked to the raga Megh in Indian classical music. In ragamala iconography, such pairings symbolize the emotional tone of a musical mode, with the peacock’s flamboyant display reflecting the mood of the Gujari ragini.
Technique & Style
Executed in a decorative, two‑dimensional manner, the painting employs bold yellows, reds, and blues that emphasize surface pattern over illusionistic depth.
Executed in a decorative, two‑dimensional manner, the painting employs bold yellows, reds, and blues that emphasize surface pattern over illusionistic depth. The flat rendering of architecture and foliage, together with the stylized depiction of the peacock on a stand, aligns the work with the illustrative conventions of ragamala manuscripts, where narrative and symbolic content outweigh naturalistic representation.
Context
Ragamala paintings originated as visual guides to Indian musical modes, each sheet pairing a raga with a poetic scene. This piece belongs to the Gujari ragini series, associated with the Megh raga, and reflects the broader 16th‑ to 18th‑century tradition of integrating music, poetry, and visual art in courtly culture.
Artist & collection
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