The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 17, 2026

Palace women enjoy music by the side of a cascade

c. 1780

Northern India, Pahari kingdoms

gum tempera, gold and silver on paper
Page: 29.6 x 20.6 cm (11 5/8 x 8 1/8 in.); Image: 24.1 x 16 cm (9 1/2 x 6 5/16 in.)
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.105
Location: On view at The Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH, Feb 6, 2026 - Jun 7, 2026

Did You Know?

One woman is gently washing the right foot of the lady. This composition is based on a Mughal painting.

Description

Sitting by an artificial cascade in a palace, a woman smokes a hookah and enjoys a music performance with her attendants. She raises her left hand in appreciation of the musicians and turns toward a companion (sakhi) who also shares her enthusiasm. Three attendants stand behind her—one holding a box of betel leaves, while the other two hold a fly whisk and a fan.
  • 1971–2001
    Ralph Benkaim [1914–2001], Beverly Hills, CA, by descent to his wife Catherine Glynn Benkaim
    2001–2018
    Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer, Beverly Hills, CA, partial sale and gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2018–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Griswold, William, Cameron Kitchin, Chase F. Robinson, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cincinnati Art Museum, and National Museum of Asian Art (Smithsonian Institution). Pahari Paintings: Art and Stories, edited by Sonya Rhie Mace, Sarang Sharma, and Vijay Sharma. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2026. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 231-232, no. 68
  • Longing: Painting from the Pahari Kingdoms, 1680 to 1820. The Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH (organizer) (February 6-June 7, 2026) https://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/art/exhibitions/longing-painting-from-the-pahari-kingdoms-of-the-northwest-himalayas/.
  • {{cite web|title=Palace women enjoy music by the side of a cascade|url=false|author=|year=c. 1780|access-date=17 March 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2018.105