Court lady singing and playing the vina
1760
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1760
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Court lady singing and playing the vina is a 1760 unspecified by Muhammad Rizavi Hindi, a Mughal Painting work, depicting Mughal, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A woman in a gold-trimmed robe sits cross-legged, singing as she plucks a gourd-shaped vina. Her hennaed fingers press the strings, and her lips part in song. This small painting once belonged in a Mughal court, where music, poetry, and art were part of daily luxury. The back even carries a Persian poem about love and ecstasy—hinting at the emotions behind the quiet scene. To see more art like this, look up Mughal.
Her mouth open slightly in song, the woman’s hennaed fingers strum a three-string vina, an Indian musical instrument with a resonator made from a gourd. Music was an essential component of courtly entertainment, along with the drinking of wine and the appreciation of poetry, paintings, and jewels. On the verso, the first two lines in Persian read: Once again, Iraqi broke his vows: From the cup of love he became intoxicated and ecstatic. The excerpt from the mystic poet Jami is more of a pious injunction: Until you are bold enough to take to the seas, You will not reap spiritual benefits from…
When the mouth is open, and teeth and tongue are showing, she is singing.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Muhammad Rizavi Hindi (b. 1700) was an Indian artist.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
