Artwork
The Sentiment of Peace: Sama Rasa, from a Rasikapriya
The Sentiment of Peace: Sama Rasa, from a Rasikapriya is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1634 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work titled *The Sentiment of Peace: Sama Rasa, from a Rasikapriya* is a painted composition featuring a vivid red field as its backdrop.
The work titled *The Sentiment of Peace: Sama Rasa, from a Rasikapriya* is a painted composition featuring a vivid red field as its backdrop. Three figures occupy the scene: a blue‑skinned male in a yellow garment with outstretched arms on the left, a centrally placed woman in a long, patterned dress clutching a small object, and a seated man on a red couch framed within the picture, gazing downward.
Subject & Meaning
The arrangement suggests a narrative drawn from the *Rasikapriya*, a classical treatise on aesthetics. The juxtaposition of the open‑armed figure, the contemplative woman, and the seated observer may symbolize the harmonious convergence of emotion, devotion, and reflective peace, echoing the concept of “sama rasa” – the equalization of feeling across participants.
Technique & Style
Executed in flat, saturated hues, the painting relies on bold color blocks rather than chiaroscuro, giving it a graphic quality. The figures are rendered with minimal modeling, emphasizing outline and pattern over three‑dimensional illusion. The use of an archaic script at the top and bottom frames the visual narrative, integrating textual and pictorial elements in a manner typical of South Asian manuscript illustration.
History & Provenance
The piece is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection, acquired through the museum’s Asian art acquisitions program. Its provenance traces back to a private collection of Indian manuscript art before entering the museum’s holdings, where it is displayed alongside related works that illustrate the visual culture of the *Rasikapriya* tradition.
Artist & collection
