Todi Ragini, illustration from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) Series

Todi Ragini evokes both tenderness and sadness, and is commonly represented by a young heroine (nayika) in a forest separated from her lover. In this painting, she is shown carrying a vina, a multi-stringed instrument distinct to the Indian subcontinent. Her music has attracted black buck deer, which are also a typical feature in Todi Ragini paintings. A line of deer stand or walk across the foreground. In the distance, a female figure worships at a shrine containing the Hindu god Shiva and his mount, Nandi the bull. This painting is a pictorial metaphor for a raga, a musical phrase that is used as the basis for improvisation. Rajput Style, Mewar School.