Northern India, Pahari kingdoms / 1780–90
The lovelorn heroine, from a Sat Sai of Bihari
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs The lovelorn heroine, from a Sat Sai of Bihari as painting (Northern India, Pahari kingdoms · 1780–90).
The Sat Sai was written for Raja Jai Singh I of Amber (r. 1625–67).
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as Gum tempera and gold on paper.
The museum's collection notes: The Sat Sai is a poetry collection describing the beauty of women in a range of emotional states. The heroine of this poem sits against a tree that is in full flower. Not coincidentally, her dress matches the color of the blossoms, but no bees come to pollinate. Her lover is absent, and other girls walk by, gossiping. The oval format was inspired by British art. The scene is from a poem written for a king in northwestern India by an author from eastern India, who was raised in a north Indian city. This painting reveals the movement of art and poets across multiple regions.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtThe lovelorn heroine, from a Sat Sai of BihariOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.