Themes and features

The essentials

Rajasthani painters drew on religious, literary, musical and courtly themes. Paintings were usually made as illustrated sets, with each folio showing one verse or episode, and a short text often written at the top.

Key points

• Ragamala: "garland of ragas". Each raga or ragini of Indian music is shown as a scene with a mood, a season and often a hero or heroine. For example, a raga linked with spring may show lovers in a garden.
• Krishna-lila: episodes from Krishna's life from the Bhagavata Purana, such as lifting Mount Govardhana or dancing with the gopis.
• Gita Govinda of Jayadeva: the love of Radha and Krishna.
• Rasikapriya of Keshavdas and Rasamanjari of Bhanudatta: texts that classify nayaka (heroes) and nayika (heroines) and their moods.
• Baramasa: the twelve months and their seasonal moods.
• Ramayana and other epics, especially in Mewar.
• Court scenes: durbars, festivals, processions, hunts and portraits of rulers.

Features

• Bright, flat, unmixed colours: red, yellow, green, blue, often with a single bright background.
• Strong rhythmic outlines and stylised figures.
• Compositions often divided into compartments, with several episodes in one picture (continuous narration).
• Architecture shown as flat panels; trees and animals decorative yet lively.
• Emotional mood (rasa) is more important than realism.

Exam tips

• Know which poet wrote which text: Jayadeva (Gita Govinda), Keshavdas (Rasikapriya), Bhanudatta (Rasamanjari).
• Ragamala questions often ask what is being "visualised": music.

Common mistakes

• Thinking Ragamala illustrates an epic story; it gives visual form to musical modes.