Artwork
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1694 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject is identified simply as a woman, with no further iconographic attributes or symbolic attributes documented in the available sources.
The painting titled Portrait of a Woman, dated 1687, portrays a single female sitter and belongs to the portrait genre. According to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s records, the work was created in the Bikaner State and is part of its collection. The subject is identified simply as a woman, with no further iconographic attributes or symbolic attributes documented in the available sources.
As such, the piece functions as a conventional likeness without explicit allegorical meaning indicated in the source material.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of a Woman is dated to 1687 and was produced in the Bikaner State region of India. The work entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection in 1987, receiving the accession number 1987.1110, and remains housed there. No documentary evidence survives to identify a patron, commissioner, or earlier owners, so the painting’s provenance prior to its acquisition by the museum is unknown. Its creation is attributed to an unidentified artist working in the late seventeenth‑century Bikaner court milieu.
Portrait of a Woman is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under inventory number 1987.1110. The painting entered the museum's holdings in 1987 and has since remained part of its permanent collection. Made in Bikaner State and dated to 1687, the work is classified as a portrait painting depicting a woman.
No specific exhibition history beyond its inclusion in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection is documented in the available sources.
Overview
“Portrait of a Woman” presents a single female figure standing in an expansive green landscape. She is dressed in a long white robe, decorated with leaf-shaped patterns, and wears a head covering. Her hands are positioned on her chest, and red shoes are visible beneath her garment.
The painting is enclosed by an elaborate gold frame, which features intricate floral designs, adding a decorative border to the composition.
Technique & Style
The artist utilizes a simple background of a faint sky and grass, which serves to emphasize the central figure. The delicate modeling of the woman's face, achieved through subtle shading, enhances her tranquil demeanor. The ornate gold frame, featuring decorative flower patterns, is a significant element of the artwork's presentation, drawing the eye and providing a rich visual context for the portrait itself.
Artist & collection
- Portrait of a Woman
Beauty Holding a Flower
Maharaja Abhi Singh (1725-50).
Court Lady Pouring Wine (recto)
Court Lady Pouring Wine (recto); Calligraphy of Lyrical Quatrains (verso)
Untitled
Rani Golapati
Portrait of Raja Ram Singh of Amber (r. 1667-1688) with a Deccan Sword (recto)
Oval portrait of a woman in a Chaghtai hat
Untitled
Aurangzeb
Jodh Bai
