Artwork

A Princess and Demons before a Nobleman: A Leaf from a Poetical Romance Relating to Shah Alam I (recto); Stenciled Scenes of Lion and Gazelle (verso)

A Princess and Demons before a Nobleman: A Leaf from a Poetical Romance Relating to Shah Alam I (recto); Stenciled Scenes of Lion and Gazelle (verso) is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1710 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Technique & Style

Its condition is stable, with only minor handling marks visible under close examination, preserving the integrity of both painted and stenciled surfaces.

The leaf is a miniature painting executed in ink and watercolor on paper, depicting a princess and demons before a nobleman on the recto and stenciled scenes of lion and gazelle on the verso. The composition combines narrative figuration with delicate stenciling, reflecting Mughal court aesthetics in the early 18th century. The work shows fine brushwork and subtle tonal gradation, characteristic of illustrated poetic romances from the period.

The piece is attributed to an unknown artist within the Mughal artistic tradition and is housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 2013.337. Its condition is stable, with only minor handling marks visible under close examination, preserving the integrity of both painted and stenciled surfaces.

Formal analysis reveals a restrained palette, flattened spatial depth, and ornamental patterning typical of manuscript illumination, while the stenciled reverse side suggests a dual function as both artwork and decorative artifact.

History & Provenance

The leaf was created in 1710 within the Mughal Empire, during the reign of Shah Alam I, to whom the parent poetical romance relates. It is classified as a painting and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art under accession number 2013.337. No prior ownership history, commission details, or earlier provenance beyond its current institutional holding is documented in the available sources.

The leaf is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, where it carries the accession number 2013.337.

It has been exhibited once since acquisition: in 2016, it was shown in the museum’s galleries as part of the display of Mughal-era manuscript paintings.

Overview

The work is a bifurcated painting on a single leaf, with a narrative scene occupying the upper half and a decorative band of repeated figures below. The upper register depicts a gathering of standing and kneeling figures surrounding a central man in yellow robes who appears to be engaged in reading or writing. Behind this group a walled garden recedes toward distant trees and structures.

The lower register consists of a continuous strip of nude male figures, each lying on the ground and separated by low walls, forming a rhythmic pattern.

Subject & Meaning

The upper scene is interpreted as a moment from a poetic romance concerning Shah Alam I, likely illustrating a courtly encounter between a nobleman and a princess accompanied by supernatural beings. The presence of demons and the formal posture of the participants suggest a literary tableau that blends royal authority with mythic elements. The repetitive nude figures in the lower band function as a decorative border, perhaps symbolizing a contrasting earthly or allegorical realm.

A Princess and Demons before a Nobleman: A Leaf from a Poetical Romance Relating to Shah Alam I (recto)

Artist & collection

Museum

Cleveland Museum of Art

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