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Prince Shreyamsa dreams of the coming of Rishabha, from a Panchakalyanaka (Five Auspicious Events)

Unknown

1675

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Mughal Painting Baroque Religious

Dominant colour

Prince Shreyamsa dreams of the coming of Rishabha, from a Panchakalyanaka (Five Auspicious Events) is a 1675 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1675 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

A prince lies on a striped blanket, eyes half-closed, while eight small scenes float above him like thought bubbles. Below, the same prince sits on a throne, pointing at the visions as a priest explains them. These dreams foretell the birth of Rishabha, the first spiritual teacher in Jain tradition. The artist packed the story into one frame—like a comic strip without borders. The bright colors and flat shapes keep the focus on the tale, not the setting. Look up more paintings from the Rajput kingdom of Amber to see how other artists told royal dreams.

The story of this work

Overview

Dreams foretell important events in Indian literature. In this painting a prince lies half asleep and experiences eight visions, pictured above the reclining figure. At the right, the prince on the throne with the royal umbrella seeks help interpreting the dreams. They predicted the coming of Rishabha, the first Jina, who has been fasting for a full year. The prince then became the first person in the world to give proper alms, or pious offerings, to a Jina. This painting is from a group that is recognized as the first Jain manuscript made in the form of a pictorial series, rather than a…