Dancers and musicians entertaining a prince

In this painting a prince is depicted sitting on an elaborate carpet on a marble terrace overlooking a lake. Dancers and musicians entertain him. In one hand the prince holds the mouthpiece of a hookah and in the other a jewel. His consort sits by his side, and attendants stand behind him holding peacock whisks (to ward off flies); these are signs of his wealth and position. The cool palette and rather static poses of the figures illustrate the elaborate, refined court style of the eastern Mughal capital of Murshidabad. The background is simply rendered, keeping our focus on the figures.

As is typical of much Indian painting, some figures in this work were rendered larger than others in order to emphasize their importance. This is particularly noticeable when comparing the prince with the other figures, and is most exaggerated with the tiny woman, presumably his wife, seated below him on the carpet.