The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 14, 2026

A rectangular drawing in ink and pastel on beige paper depicts a woman in side profile facing left against a solid black background. Dense, intricate cross-hatching renders her medium-light skin, with a soft pink wash on her cheek and a small yellow stud on her earlobe. Dark hair flows behind her ear, partially obscured by a cloth with orange floral designs draped over her head and shoulder, reaching the bottom frame edge.

A Punjabi Beauty

1978

Jogen Chowdhury

(Indian, b. 1939)
India
Ink and pastel on paper
Sheet: 35.1 x 31.1 cm (13 13/16 x 12 1/4 in.); Support: 47.9 x 39.8 cm (18 7/8 x 15 11/16 in.)
Gift of Phyllis Granoff 2023.57
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Chowdhury developed the use of a spidery web of dense cross-hatched lines after working with textiles in Madras (Chennai).

Description

With her square jaw flushed pink, prominent nose, and short brow, this image is a rebellious outcry against established codes of female beauty. Nevertheless, she is proud and resolute in spite of her deviance from the norms. Chowdhury’s figures often impel the viewer to confront the condition of individuals who find themselves isolated or disenfranchised by society’s expectations and structures.
  • 1977–1979
    Collection of the Artist, sold to Phyllis Granoff
    1979–2023
    Phyllis Granoff, New Haven, CT, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2023–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=A Punjabi Beauty|url=false|author=Jogen Chowdhury|year=1978|access-date=14 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2023.57