Cleveland Museum of Art

A Disconsolate Lady on a Terrace with Attendants

Date

c. 1730

Medium

Gum tempera, silver, and gold on paper

Culture

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Raghogarh

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This princess is waiting for her lover to arrive. Thinking of him, she touches her breast and her lap, while one attendant keeps flies off with the royal whisk, and the other bites her finger in a gesture of astonishment. The artist has whimsically manipulated elements of the landscape, such as the blazing sun peeking out from behind the flat black hill at the lower left corner, and invading the yellow strip at the top with blocks of blue sky to accommodate the finials of the palace rooftops. Her loose hair and seating posture with one leg outstretched indicate that she is losing hope.

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