Raja Ravi Varma’s Music Hath Charms (Kadambari) (1890) portrays a woman in a rich red sari, adorned with gold jewelry, absorbed in playing a sitar. The painting showcases Varma’s realism—lush textures, glowing pearls, and intricate details reflect her high societal status. Her delicate features and serene expression embody his idealized feminine beauty, rooted in mythology and contemporary Indian womanhood. Scattered roses and a discarded slipper subtly enrich the scene, framing her as a vasikasajjika nayika—a woman joyfully lost in music, awaiting her lover. Varma’s mastery blends realism with poetic grace.