AlbumsIndian18th century

Portrait of a Lady, copy of a European painting (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a manuscript

18th century

Description

The recto of this folio features a large, decorative marginal border that contains gold, blue, and red palmettes, flowers, and arabesques. It is followed by a small solid gold border and a border containing scrolling gold flowers and leaves. At the center of the page is a portrait of a European woman. The top and bottom of the portrait are bordered with a small, mint green order containing gold scrolling leaves. The figure is set against a solid dark grey background. She wears a translucent pink-purple shawl with gold trim that is wrapped tightly around her shoulders, but billows behind her back. Her neck is adorned with two pearl chokers and a long pendant necklace that touches the tip of the mint green border. The figure wears large flower earrings with a drop pearl. Her dark hair is parted and tied in a low bun with curly strands that cascade in front of her ears. Small c- and s-shaped curls frame her forehead. She has wide almond-shaped eyes and her lips are tinted red. The verso features twenty-two lines of Persian prose written in black ink and in nasta‘liq script. There are words and phrases also written in the right hand margins. Late Mughal or Deccan Sultanate Style.

Classification

Albums

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper; Late Mughal or Deccan Sultanate Style

Culture

Indian

Century

18th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art