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A princess reclining on a terrace with attendants

Unknown

1735

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Mughal Painting 18th Century Portrait Mughal

Dominant colour

A princess reclining on a terrace with attendants is a 1735 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, depicting Mughal, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1735 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a princess lounging on a white marble terrace while servants fan her, pour drinks, and wave away bugs. This painting shows how Mughal royalty lived in the 1700s—rich fabrics, jewels, and small comforts like betel leaves for fresh breath. The scene is calm but full of tiny details, like the musicians clapping in time. If you like this, look up more Mughal art.

The story of this work

Overview

This scene presents an idealized view of the life of a Mughal princess. Bejeweled and dressed in costly garments, she reclines on a couch set up on a white marble terrace. She watches two musicians sing and clap time, and a companion pours for her a cup of liquor. Two attendants stand behind, one waving a whisk to keep away the insects and another holding a box of paan, a betel-leaf preparation for freshening the breath. At the far right an older woman of the harem holds a fan while enjoying a hookah.