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The deceitful wife returns to her terrace after caressing her lover, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
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In order to convince the king that he should not have the prince executed solely on the basis of the handmaiden's accusation, the king's seven viziers each tell a story about the actions of a deceitful woman. This painting depicts the opening scene of the story told by the fifth of seven viziers. An adulterous wife has surreptitiously climbed down from her room to caress a man on the street, whom she wants to take as a lover. In the margin of the painting on this page is an inscription written in Persian identifying the name of the artist Shravana.
| Artist / Maker | Shravana |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1560 |
| Culture / Origin | Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) |
| Medium | gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper |
| Dimensions | Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); Painting only: 8.9 x 10 cm (3 1/2 x 3 15/16 in.) |
| Department | Indian and Southeast Asian Art |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
Shravana (Indian, active 1550s–c.1600) Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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