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Tiered Court Scene
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Emperor Muhammad Shah rekindled an imperial interest in Hinduism that had not been so strong since the time of Akbar, 150 years before. He commissioned this painting that shows the acts of Rama, hero of a Hindu epic, who slays the demon of the golden city of Lanka at the top of the page. In the middle sections, various Hindu deities enjoy music, kite flying, and boating, while at the bottom the Krishna plays Holi with his lover Radha and other palace women. They shoot red-colored water at one another with plunger guns in celebration of the coming of spring.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineTiered Court Scene, c. 1735. Chitarman II (Indian, c. 1680–с. 1750). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 54.6 x 39 cm (21 1/2 x 15 3/8 in.); painting: 40.1 x 29.1 cm (15 13/16 x 11 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michael de Havenon, 1973.237
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