Patamanjari Ragini of Dipak, from a Ragamala
1745
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1745
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Patamanjari Ragini of Dipak, from a Ragamala is a 1745 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A woman sits on a bright green carpet outside a fancy house. She holds out a bite of food to a small gray cat with black spots. The cat looks nervous, tail curled tight. This painting is part of a *Ragamala*—a set of images that match Indian musical modes to pictures. The music for this mode is supposed to sound like a cat’s meow. The artist tilted the carpet up so you can see its full pattern, even though it makes the scene look a little odd. To see more art like this, look up northern India, Pahari kingdoms.
The sound that serves as the basis for this musical mode is the voice of the cat. Paintings of Patamanjari Ragini are set on the outdoor terrace of a fine house, complete with niches holding vessels. The heroine sits in front of a bolster on a green floral carpet that the artist has tilted up so as not to obscure its pattern. The spotted gray cat appears shy, and the heroine is trying to entice it with a morsel, while she gestures for it to come.
A young girl and her companion play with a cat to pass the time.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
