A Heroine Plucking a Flower: Page from a Dispersed Nayikabheda

ca. 1660–80

Not on view

The artist instilled this painting with an iconography of longing: the empty bed, the solitary nayika (heroine), and the forlorn call of the peacock. The patterned raindrops, stylized creepers, and surface treatment of the architecture distinguish this manuscript from other work done in the Malwa courts. The figural type suggests an awareness of the Mewar or Bundi traditions; the use of a black sky and a red color field behind are typical of the archaic tastes of Malwa production, which survived into the late seventeenth century.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: A Heroine Plucking a Flower: Page from a Dispersed Nayikabheda
Date: ca. 1660–80
Culture: India (Madhya Pradesh, Malwa)
Medium: Ink and opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 8 3/8 x 6 3/16 in. (21.3 x 15.7 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin N. Haas, 1979
Object Number: 1979.505
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

A Heroine and Her Lover in a Pavilion: Page from a Dispersed Nayikabheda

, Ink and opaque watercolor on paper, India (Madhya Pradesh, Malwa) — A Heroine and Her Lover in a Pavilion: Page from a Dispersed Nayikabheda
India (Madhya Pradesh, Malwa)
ca. 1660–80

Matchlock Gun, Steel, iron, wood, ivory, gold, silver, copper alloy, pigment, Indian, Rajasthan, possibly Gwalior — Matchlock Gun
Indian, Rajasthan, possibly Gwalior
late 18th–19th century

The Demon Hiranyaksha Departs the Demon Palace: Folio from a Bhagavata Purana Series, Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper, Northern India, Guler, Himachal Pradesh — The Demon Hiranyaksha Departs the Demon Palace: Folio from a Bhagavata Purana Series
Northern India, Guler, Himachal Pradesh
ca. 1740

Hunting Sword (Shamshir Shikargar) with Modern Scabbard, Steel, gold, textile (velvet), wood, Indian, Rajasthan — Hunting Sword (Shamshir Shikargar) with Modern Scabbard
Indian, Rajasthan
18th–mid-19th century

Krishna and Balarama Fight the Evil King Kamsa’s Wrestlers: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana

, Ink and opaque watercolor on paper, India (Madhya Pradesh, Malwa) — Krishna and Balarama Fight the Evil King Kamsa’s Wrestlers: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana
India (Madhya Pradesh, Malwa)
ca. 1650

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.