Portrait of a kneeling holy man, from the Prince Salim Album — Mir Sayyid Ali (Persian, active in Iran 1540s–50, active in India 1555–1580) — The Cleveland Museum of Art · Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection · CC0. Museum object record ↗

Painting study · Ink painting

Portrait of a kneeling holy man, from the Prince Salim Albumc. 1556–60; border c. 1602 · Study 2013.295

Mir Sayyid Ali (Persian, active in Iran 1540s–50, active in India 1555–1580)
c. 1556–60; border c. 1602

Recorded as Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper, laid down on an album page with cream borders decorated with gold flowers and geometric motifs, this vertical work measures 7.2 × 11.9 cm using the museum’s painting only dimensions. Explore the museum’s context and compare the format with a wall of your choice.

Explore its scale ↓Shop Lei-Kol paintings

Museum collection reference. This work is not offered for sale by Physical Art For Crypto. Museum attribution does not imply a partnership or endorsement.

Context from the museum

The kneeling figure is a charlatan holy man who wears the blue robe of a Sufi mystic. According to the inscriptions above and below the painting, he acts humble and pious for monetary gain rather than sincerity of devotion. Images of charlatan holy men recur in Mughal painting, including in the Cleveland Tuti-Nama . Mir Sayyid Ali was the first head of the Mughal workshop under Akbar. He was responsible for training Indian artists to adopt Persian sensibilities, admired by elites of the Islamic world during the 1400s to at least the 1700s.

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

A detail to notice

In this sensitive portrayal of a charlatan holy man, the eyes are pale and empty.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Portrait of a kneeling holy man, from the Prince Salim Album is 7.2 cm wide and 11.9 cm high, equivalent to approximately 2.8 × 4.7 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.61:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.01 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 2.4% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 146.4 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 Portrait of a kneeling holy man, from the Prince Salim Album 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, laid down on an album page with cream borders decorated with gold flowers and geometric motifs, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
Would a 7.2 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?

Explore physical scale

How large would this format feel on your wall?

Use this museum work’s recorded format as a reference. Adjust a blank wall and optional frame allowance to compare proportions. The museum painting is an educational reference and is not for sale here.

Units

Wall width (cm)

Wall height (cm)

Frame each side (cm)

2.4%of wall width, including allowance

7.2 × 11.9 cmmodeled outside dimensions

Within the entered wall dimensions146.4 cm each side when centered

Calculation: outside width = recorded width + twice your frame allowance. This is a proportion study, not an installation assessment. It excludes furniture, hardware, load capacity, depth and delivery clearance. The display image may include margins absent from the recorded measurement.

Compare formats with the studio collection

These Lei-Kol works have the closest width-to-height ratios in the current catalog. This is a geometry comparison, not a claim of artistic similarity, equivalent value, or association with the museum artist.