Cover art · forest

Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladies

Unknown artist, c. 1760.

Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladies
Princely ascetic in the forest visited by ladies — Cleveland Museum of Art

Using it on a cover

The print file prints up to 9.2 x 11.3 in at 300 ppi — enough for a full 6 x 9 in front cover. Wider than a 6 x 9 cover: crop about 18% of the width, or use it as a wraparound across back and spine.

About the work

At first glance a group of court women has gathered to visit a prince who abandoned the palace to practice yoga, as indicated by the strap around the knees of the figure seated at the right. Upon close inspection, however, the prince is being “played” by a woman dressed for the part. All the components of a pleasurable courtly Mughal gathering are present. A sumptuous carpet, bottles of alcohol, fruit, a hookah, breath-freshening paan , and a woman playing a vina have been set up in the forest as if in the palace.

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