Page from the Late Shah Jahan Album: Prince and Ascetics c. 1630 This object has related works. See Page from the Late Shah Jahan Album: Portrait of Asaf Khan; Page from the Late Shah Jahan Album: Persian Calligraphy Framed by an Ornamental Border of Flowers and Birds attributed to Govardhan (Indian, active c.1596-1645) India, Mughal court, reign of Shah Jahan (1628-1658), Mughal Dynasty (1526-1756) Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper Image: 20.3 x 14.3 cm (8 x 5 5/8 in.); Sheet with border: 37.5 x 25.2 cm (14 3/4 x 9 15/16 in.) Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1971.79 DESCRIPTION Most paintings in the Late Shah Jahan Album were commissioned specifically for the album, but some older finished works were chosen to be incorporated; they were removed from their original housings and inserted into the new borders. This painting of a Mughal prince visiting a Sufi holy man in his cave dwelling is one example, chosen probably because it underscores the importance of the religious dimension of Mughal life. The conch on the ground before the ascetic is blown at the beginning of prayer, which in the Sufi tradition is often sung to the accompaniment of music. The pair of ducks in the foreground imply the harmonious union of the spiritual and temporal in the Mughal realm. Mendicant Islamic ascetics fill the borders on this page, except for the one noble retainer standing by the prince. PROVENANCE [John D. MacDonald, Manchester, NH] John D. MacDonald, Manchester, NH CITATIONS The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 305 archive.org Ballanfat, Marc. La Bhagavadgītā: illustrée par la peinture indienne. Paris: Diane de Selliers, 2016. Mentioned: p. 216; Reproduced: p. 217 EXHIBITION HISTORY CMA, 1972: "Year in Review 1971," CMA Bulletin (Jan., 1972), p. 46, no. 159. Williamstown, MA, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, September 25 - November 5, 1978: "The Grand Mughals: Imperial Painting in India 1600-1660," cat. no. 22, repr. Also to: Baltimore, MD, Walters Art Gallery, November 20, 1978 - January 10, 1979 Boston, MA, Museum of Fine Arts, February 2 - March 25, 1979 New York, NY, Asia House Gallery, April 10 - June 10, 1979 Approved: Trustees' Meeting 10/18/77 Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, November 20, 1985 - February 9, 1986: "Life at Court: Art for India's Rulers, 16th through 19th Centuries," cat. no. 78, repr. p. 97. Also to: Dallas, TX, Dallas Museum of Art, March 14 - May 9, 1986 Approved: Trustees' Meeting 11/5/84 Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, December 17, 1989 - March 11, 1990: "The Romance of the Taj Mahal," cat. Also to: Toledo, OH, Toledo Museum of art, April 29 - June 24, 1990 Richmond, VA, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, August 23 - November 25, 1990 New York, NY, Asia Society Gallery, January 10 - March 17, 1991 Approved: Trustees' Minutes 9/14/87 Amended Approval: Trustees' Minutes 6/6/88 Amended Approval: Trustees' Minutes 12/12/88 CMA, September 24 - December 8, 1996: "Asian Autumn - Dance of the Gods: Indian Art Inspired by Music," Educational Exhibit Area, Lower Level, no cat. Sydney, Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales. "Dancing to the Flute: Music and Dance in Indian Art", 6/11 - 8/24/97,Masselos, Jim. Dancing to the flute: Music and Dance in Indian Art. (Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, c1997) exh. cat. no. 106, p. 170, color repr. p. 171. Musée de la Musique, Paris (3/18/2003 - 6/29/2003): "Northh India: Glory of Princes, Tribute to the Gods" exh. cat no. 40, p. 82. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (10/19/2013 - 1/26/2014); Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, CA (2/21/2014 - 5/25/2014); and The Cleveland Museum of Art (6/22/2014 - 9/7/2014): "Yoga: The Art of Transformation", cat. no. 19C, p. 226-227." Main Gallery Rotation (gallery 245): April 28, 2015 - November 2, 2015. Dance of the Gods: Indian Art Inspired by Music. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-December 8, 1996). Dancing to the Flute: Music and Dance in Indian Art . Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia (organizer) (June 12-August 24, 1997). North India: The Glory of Princes, Tribute to the Gods. Musée de la Musique, Paris, France (organizer) (March 18-June 29, 2003). Yoga: The Art of Transformation. Smithsonian Institution Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, DC (organizer) (October 19, 2013-January 26, 2014); Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (February 21-May 25, 2014); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (June 22-September 7, 2014).