Late 17th - early 18th century

Woman Beneath a Tree

The motif of a woman wrapped around a tree has ancient roots in Indian art, carrying connotations of fertility and holiness. Shown attended by a friend playing a vina (a stringed instrument), she often represents the heroine longing for her absent lover or husband. This composition shows one of the many moods of love in separation and may also illustrate a musical mode (raga). The gentle drawing and delicate washes, modulated by shades of gold and punctuated by enamel-like jewelry, show the influence of Mughal painting styles in the Deccan. The later inscription in Italian interprets the subject as a woman performing a devotional practice under a sacred tree.