Heroine with attendant and a pair of deer
1715
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1715
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Heroine with attendant and a pair of deer is a 1715 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A woman in a flowing red dress stands on tiptoe, arms raised like she’s dancing. A servant holds a stringed instrument beside her. Two deer, one spotted, watch from the side. The way her body twists—feet pointing one way, head the other—feels impossible, like she’s floating. The deer aren’t scared, even though they usually run. The artist made her long legs and staring eyes to show something magical, not real life. Look up paintings from northern india, pahari kingdoms to see more scenes like this.
A heroine’s ardor for her absent lover is so strong that it attracts a deer and doe, otherwise shy animals. The woman holding a stringed instrument at the right signals that this scene has a musical theme. Intensely staring gazes, the heroine’s elongated legs, the impossible turn of her head in the opposite direction as her feet, and the unaided dance of her hems add to the miraculous quality of the scene.
The lady fondling the deer is adorned in a transparent muslin shawl.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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