Many of the paintings in the exhibition Divine Visions, Earthly Pleasures illustrate poetry associated with an important genre of classical music of North India known as ragas, which relate to particular moods, seasons, and times of day. In his illustrated talk, guest curator Robert Del Bontà explores the fascinating subject of ragamala painting, which flourished at the Hindu and Muslim courts as early as the fifteenth century.

Del Bontà, an authority on Indian painting, curated the Divine Visions exhibition. From 1993 to 2000 he was research associate and guest curator at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, where he has since curated several exhibitions. He has also organized or contributed to exhibitions at museums including the University of Michigan Museum of Art, the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, and BAMPFA.