Jewel Portrait of a Young Girlc. 1660 · Study 1968.71

Context from the museum

This small drawing of a young girl wearing a chaghtai cap may be a likeness of a member of a royal or courtly Mughal family. The accuracy of female portraiture is an unresolved issue in Mughal art, as there are many paintings of women that appear to be studies of female beauty rather than visual records of real people. However, because the girl in this painting is not an idealized type, it is more likely that this is a true portrait. Unlike jewel portraits of emperors that were intended to be worn in public as status symbols, this was more likely a private gift of sentimental value.

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

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Jewel Portrait of a Young Girl is 2.4 cm wide and 3.3 cm high, equivalent to approximately 0.9 × 1.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.73:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.00 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 0.8% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 148.8 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 Jewel Portrait of a Young Girl in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, ink drawing with slight accents of color, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 2.4 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?