Artwork Page for Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladies

Details / Information for Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladies

Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladies

c. 1760

Medium
Gum tempera and gold on paper
Measurements
Overall: 32.7 x 26.5 cm (12 7/8 x 10 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1971.95
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Hennaed fingers and jeweled anklets confirm that this prince is a woman.

Description

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 if in the palace.
A vertically oriented tempera painting depicts figures with light skin tones in a green landscape. On the right, a man sits beneath a tree. Opposite him, three women sit on a red rug while another plays a stringed instrument in the foreground. Two more women stand behind each seated group. The setting features lotus ponds and dense trees, all framed by an ornate gold, floral-patterned border.

Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladies

c. 1760

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