A prince celebrating Holi with palace women on a terrace at night (recto)

Created in 1760, this painting was produced by an artist whose identity remains unrecorded. The work currently resides in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 2013.342.a. No specific details regarding the original commission, the identity of the patron, or the chain of ownership prior to its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records. The piece is classified as a painting depicting a nocturnal terrace scene.

The painting is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, located in Cleveland. It is cataloged under the accession number 2013.342.a. The work has been part of the museum's holdings since its inception record of 1760, though specific exhibition history details are not provided in the available sources.

The work is attributed to an anonymous Indian painter active in the mid-18th century, reflecting the Mughal-influenced courtly style prevalent in North Indian painting during that period. Its depiction of a princely Holi celebration aligns with thematic motifs found in Rajput and Pahari artistic traditions, where courtly revelry was a recurring subject. The composition’s nocturnal setting and intimate interaction between figures suggest a narrative emphasis on seasonal festivity within elite domestic spaces.

The attribution to an unnamed artist, documented in Cleveland Museum of Art records, situates the piece within the broader corpus of Indian miniature painting, where individual hands are rarely identifiable but stylistic affinities can be traced to regional workshops. The work’s presence in a Western collection highlights evolving patterns of global art acquisition in the 20th century.

The work influenced later artistic representations of Indian courtly celebrations, particularly in 19th-century European travel accounts that referenced its depiction of festive nocturnal scenes. Its inclusion in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection has ensured continued scholarly attention to its cultural narrative.

The work depicts a nocturnal festivity on a palace terrace, where a male figure in a white turban raises his arms amid a circle of women dressed in vivid pink, yellow and red garments. Candles illuminate the scene, while a moon hangs above a pavilion. The composition includes a railing, a distant landscape with trees and a small boat, and the participants are adorned with heavy jewelry and patterned fabrics.