Artwork Page for Portrait of a man

Details / Information for Portrait of a man

Portrait of a man

late 1700s

Northern India, Pahari kingdoms

Medium
Gum tempera on paper
Measurements
Overall: 7.3 x 5.5 cm (2 7/8 x 2 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Pamela Elizabeth Ward in loving memory of her parents, William E. and Evelyn Svec Ward 2005.69
Public Domain
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Location
242B Indian Painting
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Did You Know?

This drawing was once owned by William E. Ward, the CMA’s chief designer from 1957 to 1993, who taught Calligraphy and Watercolor at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Description

Pahari artists made multiple sketches before combining elements into a finished painting. Sketches were kept in artist family collections, rather than sold. This man may have been one member of a group of nobles, each one slightly differentiated.
A vertically oriented drawing on light brown paper depicts a man in profile facing right. Fine lines define his large eye, thin mustache, and beaded earring. He wears a rounded head covering, with a faint circular halo floating above his head. The man's light skin tone and collared torso fade toward the bottom, leaving the composition unfinished. Delicate strokes on the textured paper create a serene, ethereal portrait emphasizing regal poise.

Portrait of a man

late 1700s

Northern India, Pahari kingdoms

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