The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 15, 2025

A Family of Tartars

c. 1885

India, Punjab, probably Lahore, Company School, 19th century

Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Overall: 25.3 x 33.8 cm (9 15/16 x 13 5/16 in.)
Gift of Maxeen and John Flower in honor of Dr. Stanislaw Czuma 2011.137
Location: Not on view

Description

This painting depicts men of Turkic descent migrating into India from western Asia. No longer with the ambition to conquer, like the Turko-Mongol rulers Timur (d. 1405) and Babur (c. 1530), the first Mughal emperor, these migrants are seeking new lands in which to settle as immigrants. The highly detailed subjects are placed against a plain background, as if the figures were designed for objective study and categorization. Indian artists made works such as this for the British in India, who were interested in collecting accurate visual records of flora, fauna, and ethnic groups who inhabited the land they colonized in 1858.
  • ?-November 2000
    (Sam Fogg, London, UK, sold to John and Maxeen Flower)
    November 2000-2011
    Dr. John and Maxeen Stone Flower [1928-2010], Shaker Heights, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2011-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • “Art of Asia Acquired by North American Museums, 2010-2011.” Archives of Asian Art, vol. 62, 2012, pp. 105–153. Reproduced: p. 116, fig. 13 43677806
  • Indian Gallery 242b Rotation – November 2016. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (November 7, 2016-April 10, 2017).
  • {{cite web|title=A Family of Tartars|url=false|author=|year=c. 1885|access-date=15 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2011.137