A Family of Tartarsc. 1885 · Study 2011.137

Context from the museum

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.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for A Family of Tartars is 33.8 cm wide and 25.3 cm high, equivalent to approximately 13.3 × 10.0 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.34:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.09 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 11.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 133.1 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With A Family of Tartars in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 33.8 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?