A prince conversing with a woman while taking refreshments on a terrace (recto) (c. 1710–20): Art, History and Details
A prince conversing with a woman while taking refreshments on a terrace (recto) at the Cleveland Museum of Art: c. 1710–20, Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper. Explore the work's context, creator attribution and collection history.
A prince conversing with a woman while taking refreshments on a terrace (recto) (c. 1710–20) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.
The work and its context
The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:
The carpet turns a terrace into a space where a prince can enjoy the company of women over wine and fruits. A covered box on the carpet contains aromatic betel nut packets for pleasurable chewing. He has removed his shoes, which are left on the marble step. A princess pours liquor from a golden bottle into a tiny blue-and-white ceramic cup. The pair’s royal status is indicated by the attendants who hold the white cloth and peacock-feather whisks. Two other women bring jewels and a vial of perfume to be inspected and discussed by the royal connoisseurs.
Object facts
- Title: A prince conversing with a woman while taking refreshments on a terrace (recto)
- Date: c. 1710–20
- Culture: Mughal India
- Type: Painting
- Technique: Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
- Dimensions: Page: 30.5 x 24.1 cm (12 x 9 1/2 in.)
- Collection: Indian Art - Mughal
- Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Accession number: 2013.335.a
A detail from the museum
The prince removed his shoes before joining the picnic on the carpeted terrace.
Collection credit
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
Further reading listed by the museum
- Mace, Sonya Rhie, Mohsen Ashtiany, Catherine Glynn, Pedro Moura Carvalho, Marcus Fraser, and Ruby Lal. Mughal Paintings: Art and Stories: the Cleveland Museum of Art. London: D Giles Limited, 2016.
View the collection record
See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.
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