id: 153626 accession number: 1987.153.a share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1987.153.a updated: 2023-05-23 11:06:51.401000 Page from the Late Shah Jahan Album: Harem Night-Bathing Scene (recto), c. 1653. India, Mughal court, reign of Shah Jahan (1628-1658), Mughal Dynasty (1526-1756), 17th Century. Gum tempera, gold, and ink on paper; overall: 37.8 x 27.3 cm (14 7/8 x 10 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alton W. Whitehouse 1987.153.a title: Page from the Late Shah Jahan Album: Harem Night-Bathing Scene (recto) title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: c. 1653 creation date earliest: 1648 creation date latest: 1658 current location: creditline: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alton W. Whitehouse copyright: --- culture: India, Mughal court, reign of Shah Jahan (1628-1658), Mughal Dynasty (1526-1756), 17th Century technique: Gum tempera, gold, and ink on paper department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art collection: Indian Art type: Painting find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Overall: 37.8 x 27.3 cm (14 7/8 x 10 3/4 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS * Main Gallery Rotation (gallery 245): April 28, 2015 - November 2, 2015. --- PROVENANCE --- fun fact: digital description: wall description: At least two scenes of women bathing under the moonlight were included in the Late Shah Jahan Album. In this painting eight women of the palace have removed their outer garments and jewelry down to their white petticoats to swim and dally in a luxurious marble pool. One male figure, who may be a eunuch guard or an imagined voyeur, looks on unnoticed, pointing to his mouth in a gesture of astonishment, perhaps at the beauty of the scene. He walks toward a small enclosure that matches descriptions of ceremonial ablution rooms set up in the women's quarters. The fully dressed women in the top and bottom border examine strings of pearls and other jewelry pieces while the attendants on the side bring perfumes and containers probably with other jewels for inspection. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1987.153.a/1987.153.a_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1987.153.a/1987.153.a_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1987.153.a/1987.153.a_full.tif