Hindola Ragac. 1790–1800 · Study 1975.9

Context from the museum

To celebrate the coming of spring, Krishna sits on a swing with his beloved Radha as their companions, the cowherd boys and milkmaids, play music, dance, admire the idyllic couple, and keep their swing gently in motion. In Sanskrit, hindola means swing, and this painting belonged to a set of ragas , which are paintings associated with a musical mode. Music played in the Hindola Raga elicits the fever of young love in springtime. Radha and Krishna represent the ideal of a young couple in love.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

The word hindola means "swing" in Sanskrit.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Hindola Raga is 15.3 cm wide and 20.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 6.0 × 8.1 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.75:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.03 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 5.1% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 142.3 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Hindola Raga in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 15.3 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?