The Vilaval Ragini

The central Rajasthan state of Kishangarh flourished as a painting center during the eighteenth century. Though closely tied to the Mughal court, it produced paintings with a unique figural style. Nihal Chand, a leading master of the school, is credited with creating an elegant, dignified figural type featuring the arched postures, receding foreheads, sharp noses, and elongated almond-shaped eyes associated with Kishangarh.

Along with court genre scenes, popular themes of Kishangarh paintings included the allegorical portrayal of romantic love. Ladies of the harem and their princes were often rendered as the divine lovers Krishna and Radha. This painting, however, of a court lady preparing her hair and makeup with the aid of two attendants contains the explicit iconography of the Bilaval (or Vilavali) Ragini. It is, therefore, a subject based on classical Indian music rather than on court romance.

Credit: Gift of Catherine and Ralph Benkaim