Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladiesc. 1760 · Study 1971.95

Context from the museum

At first glance a group of court women has gathered to visit a prince who abandoned the palace to practice yoga, as indicated by the strap around the knees of the figure seated at the right. Upon close inspection, however, the prince is being “played” by a woman dressed for the part. All the components of a pleasurable courtly Mughal gathering are present. A sumptuous carpet, bottles of alcohol, fruit, a hookah, breath-freshening paan , and a woman playing a vina have been set up in the forest as if in the palace.

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

A detail to notice

Hennaed fingers and jeweled anklets confirm that this prince is a woman.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladies is 13.8 cm wide and 19.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 5.4 × 7.7 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.70:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.03 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 4.6% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 143.1 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 Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladies 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 gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 13.8 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?