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A Royal Picnic on a Terrace

Muhammad Ali

1620

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Mughal Painting Baroque Portrait

Dominant colour

A Royal Picnic on a Terrace is a 1620 unspecified by Muhammad Ali, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Muhammad Ali
When & what style?: 1620 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a king lounging on a bright carpet while servants stand nearby. Two men sit at the edge, reading books with gold-trimmed covers. The carpet is the star—every inch is packed with tiny flowers and vines in red, blue, and gold. The king’s cushion has gold clouds, showing he rules the sky too. A servant holds a fly whisk, a symbol of royal power in India. If you like this scene, look up mughal india, court of akbar (reigned 1556–1605) for more paintings of royal life.

The story of this work

Overview

A richly patterned carpet spans the width of the composition and forms the setting for a royal visit. The status of the highest-ranking person is indicated by the tan cloth placed over the carpet and the voluminous wine-colored cushion ornamented with stylized gold clouds. An attendant holding an emblem of Indian royalty, the fly whisk, stands to one side. At the far right of the carpet are two books, indicating that they are learned men. Like the carpet, the book covers have central medallions and borders, in line with the Persian aesthetic that the Mughals of India held in high regard.