The exquisite details in this painting—the crescent moon and starry night sky, the dazzling multilayered outfits of the two young women and the delicate leaves of the flourishing tree—are hallmarks of the Mughal style of Indian painting. A pious young woman and her female companion visit a guru, who has long matted hair, a beard and fingernails. Painting night scenes became popular during the reign of Shah Jahan, a Mughal emperor (r. 1628–58) who was a great patron of the arts.
Details
- Title: Ladies Visiting an Ascetic at Night
- Date: c. early 18th century
- Medium: Opaque watercolor on paper
- Dimensions: image: 6-7/8 x 4-3/16 in. (17.5 x 10.6 cm); sheet: 7-7/8 x 5-1/8 in. (20.0 x 13.0 cm)
- Credit Line: Norton Simon Museum, Gift of Vineet and Floretta Kapoor
- Accession Number: P.2003.06.1
- Copyright: © Norton Simon Museum
Object Information
Painted Poems: Rajput Paintings from the Ramesh and Urmil Kapoor Collection
- Norton Simon Museum, 2004-04-02 to 2004-09-06
Exceptionally Gifted: Recent Donations to the Norton Simon Museum (2002-2008)
- Norton Simon Museum, 2009-04-17 to 2009-08-31
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