Folio 2 from a Parshvanatha Charitra (Life and Stories of Lord Parshva) of Bhavadeva-suri: Monk preaching to a disciple with a lay audience (recto); Text (verso)c. 1275–1300 · Study 1971.125

Context from the museum

This leaf comes from the beginning of a manuscript about the life and nine past lives of the penultimate Jina (liberated being in the Jain religion), known as Parshva. Composed by a learned Jain monk in 1255, it opens with praises exalting the Jinas. This manuscript was produced not long after the text gained popularity, since the style of the painting accords with others made during the third quarter of the 13th century. The language of the text is Sanskrit with the incorporation of numerous elements drawn from regional vernaculars.

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

A detail to notice

The hole in the center of the page was meant for binding cords to pass through.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for Folio 2 from a Parshvanatha Charitra (Life and Stories of Lord Parshva) of Bhavadeva-suri: Monk preaching to a disciple with a lay audience (recto); Text (verso) is 32.4 cm wide and 6.7 cm high, equivalent to approximately 12.8 × 2.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 4.84:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.02 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 10.8% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 133.8 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 Folio 2 from a Parshvanatha Charitra (Life and Stories of Lord Parshva) of Bhavadeva-suri: Monk preaching to a disciple with a lay audience (recto); Text (verso) in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera and ink on palm leaf, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 32.4 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?