Women Enjoying the River at the Forest’s Edge (recto)
1765
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1765
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Women Enjoying the River at the Forest’s Edge (recto) is a 1765 unspecified by Hunhar II, a Mughal Painting work, depicting Mughal, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see five young women by a river, laughing and playing under mango trees. One smokes a hookah, another dips her toes in the water, while two more splash each other. Bowls of jasmine flowers sit on the bank, and marble palaces glow in the distance. This painting shows a quiet moment of joy tied to nature’s bounty. The mango trees and coming rain hint at prosperity—life is good, the land is rich. Even the flowers and perfumes feel like small luxuries, not just decoration. If you like this scene, look up Mughal art next—it’s full of similar lively, detailed moments from 18th-century India.
The image of young women at play, in association with water and the fruiting of trees, such as this mango, has been used in Indian art to signal the idea of prosperity and abundance. Rain clouds approach that will nourish the land. The pairs of women on the banks sample perfumes, and in front of them bowls made of leaves appear to hold jasmine flowers for adorning the hair. One woman smokes a hookah and looks on as two companions frolic in the rivulet. The palace’s white marble buildings are barely indicated in the far distance.
Mangoes are in varying stages of ripeness, from green to bright orange-yellow.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
