Todi Ragini, from a Ragamala Seriesc. 1750–75 · Study 2012.297

Context from the museum

In the ragamala system, male ragas are "married" to female raginis. Todi Ragini is a "wife" of Hindola Raga, the name of a scene that features the male lover or lovers on a swing. Both Todi and Hindola are meant to explore the moods of springtime. Ragamala verses describe Todi as a woman with sharp eyes and a slim "extremely tender body, radiant as the frost" and smeared with saffron and camphor from Kashmir. She is said to "push back a deer from the edge of a forest glade."

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

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Todi Ragini, from a Ragamala Series is 13 cm wide and 21.4 cm high, equivalent to approximately 5.1 × 8.4 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.61:1. 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 4.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 143.5 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 Todi Ragini, from a Ragamala Series 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 13 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?