Nandlal wrote and illustrated Madhumalati in 18th century Gwalior, to present a version of Chaturbhujdas Nigam’s original composition dating from the mid-16th century. Madhumalati is an epic tale of amour in versified, vernacular text, singularly rich in folklore. Its story-telling remarkably transforms the incredible into the plausible and entertains the audience even as it critiques social norms. It is impossible to miss its central message of promoting harmony. Madhumalati fearlessly debunks conservatism, pomposity and class distinctions; appealing for avoidance and resolution of conflicts. The miniatures by Nandlal are charmingly illustrative of the narrative. These miniatures are independent of regal patronage and are rendered in a style that marries a popular, folksy oeuvre with the late Malwa-Bundelkhand painterly tradition of 18th century Gwalior (Central India). The illustrated manuscript resounds with the theme of love between Madhukar, the son of a trader (vanika) and Malati, a ksatriya princess. Professor R.N. Misra taught at the Universities of Sagar, Gwalior, Allahabad and Gwalior again (1959-2001), was also Fellow (1973-75; 2002-05) at IIAS, Shimla and Tagore National Fellow (2012-15). His recent publications include Rethinking Comparative Aesthetics in a Contemporary Frame (ed. 2019, in collaboration with Professor Parul Dave-Mukherji), Ascetics, Piety and Power: Saiva Siddhanta Monastic Art in the Woodlands of Central India (2018) and Outlines of Indian Arts (ed. 2014). Veena Misra (1941-2019), a poetess, artist, home-maker and a person of wide academic sympathy. Deeply interested in Indian and western philosophy, especially G.E. Moore’s Principia Ethica for her unfinished Ph.D., she also found immense pleasure in literature and the arts; her expositions on kavya-sastra were spellbinding. She also wrote popular articles, reviews and poetry for journals.