Panchama Ragini: Page from a Dispersed Ragamala Series (Garland of Musical Modes)

1640-02-07T00:00:00Z

A maidservant holding a peacock-feather fly whisk attends a raja and his consort in a pavilion, while on the terrace outside, two musicians receive payment from the raja for their services. The painting's quality of drawing, color, and execution suggests that Karan Singh of Bikaner (r. 1632–69) enriched his atelier with artists who had worked or trained at the Mughal imperial atelier. Direct observation of nature and an intent to capture psychology and gesture are evident in the rendering of the figures.