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The merchant hears of his wife’s unfaithfulness (above); the unfaithful wife performs penance by plucking her hair (below), from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): First Night

Unknown

1560

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Mughal Painting Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

The merchant hears of his wife’s unfaithfulness (above); the unfaithful wife performs penance by plucking her hair (below), from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): First Night is a 1560 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1560 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see two stacked scenes: a man in a red robe listening to servants whisper, and below, a woman pulling out her hair while birds watch. The painting comes from a book of parrot tales told to Emperor Akbar. The parrot here is the real storyteller—it spies on the wife, reports her affair, and later makes sure she’s forgiven. The tiny birds in the lower scene act like a Greek chorus, judging her every move. Look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) to see more of these vivid, storybook pages.

The story of this work

Overview

In the upper register the merchant is surrounded by gossiping members of his household. Below, birds surround his unfaithful wife. The merchant’s parrot, whom the wife tried to kill, perches on the edge of a tomb to observe her act of penance. Once her penance is complete, the parrot reunites the couple, and the wife is welcomed home.