This 1898 painting by Raja Ravi Varma interprets Gujarati poet Kalapi’s poem Veena Nu Mrug, exploring how art finds meaning through its audience. The composition depicts a woman in traditional white and red attire playing the veena by a riverside, with a hunter nearby. Varma substituted the poem’s original deer with a bird, maintaining the narrative’s essence. The work embodies the poem’s tragic premise: when the hunter kills the creature drawn to her music, he destroys her artistic inspiration. Rich in detail and atmospheric lighting, the painting demonstrates Varma’s academic realistic style while celebrating the profound connection between artist and audience.