2-733-127 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Lady Longing for her Lover, Varari Ragini of Dipak, from a Ragamala, 1650-60. A lady clasps her hands above her head in a posture of seduction meant to show off her figure as she anticipates her lover’s arrival. She turns toward the empty bed and waits impatiently, and her attendant burns incense that perfumes the air. Many Rajput paintings depict emotive scenes intended to enhance the pleasure of looking by evoking similar feelings in the viewer. In this painting, bees hover above the heroine as though they mistake her for a blossom, metaphorically referring to the desired act of lovemaking.