Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladies
Unknown Artist
c. 1760
Medium
Gum tempera and gold on paper
Dimensions
32.7 × 26.5 cm · image: 19.6 × 13.8 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
Accession Number
1971.95
About this artwork
At first glance a group of court women has gathered to visit a prince who abandoned the palace to practice yoga, as indicated by the strap around the knees of the figure seated at the right. Upon close inspection, however, the prince is being “played” by a woman dressed for the part. All the components of a pleasurable courtly Mughal gathering are present. A sumptuous carpet, bottles of alcohol, fruit, a hookah, breath-freshening paan, and a woman playing a vina have been set up in the forest as...