Accession Number
1997/2.43

Title
Man with two ladies

Artist(s)
Artist Unknown, India, Punjab Hills, Nurpur School

Object Creation Date
circa 1750-1760

Medium & Support
ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Dimensions
7 15/16 in x 5 3/4 in (20.1 cm x 14.6 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Professor Walter M. and Nesta R. Spink

Label copy
In this scene from everyday life, two women greet a man in front of a marble pavilion. Each of the figures appears in a restrained pose, standing erect with bent arms held close to the body, and a calm facial expression. But the exchange of intense gazes suggests it is no mere social call.
This painting is from Nurpur, a small state in the Punjab Hills. Compared to paintings from neighboring states, such as Basohli and Mankot, works from Nurpur employ a darker palette—instead of pure hues, there are brick reds, mustard yellows, olive greens—and figures are elongated. Although the compositions may seem static, they can be quite arresting on their own terms.
Exhibited in "Divine Encounters, Earthly Pleasures: Twenty Centuries of Indian Art" at UMMA, 12/12/03–2/22/04.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
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Keywords
Figures
buildings
man
standing
trees
women