Girls Spraying Each Other at Holic. 1640–50 · Study 1971.83

Context from the museum

The antics of Holi, the festival of spring, are in full tilt in this scene that takes place in the women's quarters of a palace. Most of the women have already been stained with the red and yellow colors that they squirt and smear on one another to the beat of handheld drums and a lively song. In a composition repeated from an imperial Mughal scene, one woman aggressively and playfully has another in a headlock and pours red liquid down her blouse. The princely state of Bikaner had close ties with the Mughal court, and some of its artists were familiar with Mughal painting, as is evident in the rendering of the garden and the figures.

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

A detail to notice

The sandstone cascade at the top of the page propels water through the garden channels.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for Girls Spraying Each Other at Holi is 12.5 cm wide and 19 cm high, equivalent to approximately 4.9 × 7.5 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.66:1. 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 4.2% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 143.8 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 Girls Spraying Each Other at Holi 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 vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 12.5 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?