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Queen Trishala's Grief and Happiness, Folio 29 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra

Unknown

1488

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Mughal Painting Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Queen Trishala's Grief and Happiness, Folio 29 (recto), from a Kalpa-sutra is a 1488 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1488 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a bright blue queen sitting on a golden throne, surrounded by handmaids in a palace garden. She holds her belly while they gesture and talk. This painting shows a moment from a Jain holy book. The queen is worried—her baby stopped moving. The baby is Mahavira, who later founded Jainism. The story says he stayed still to keep his mother comfortable. Look up more paintings from western india, gujarat to see how artists told stories like this.

The story of this work

Overview

This page discusses the pregnancy of Queen Trishala when she was anxious about why she could not feel the baby move. In the painting she addresses her handmaids: “Has the child in my womb been destroyed? Has he been killed? Have I suffered a miscarriage? The child used to move, but now he does not move.” The baby is Mahavira, who will grow to be the historical founder of the Jain religion. According to the text, he remained motionless out of compassion for his mother, not wishing to disturb her. Once he realized how worried she was, he made a little movement, and this filled her with joy.

Read the full account in the museum source.