Portrait of a lady-in-waiting
There are very few true-to-life portraits in early India. The depictions of both individual queens and anonymous ladies-in-waiting, such as this one, are idealized. This was undoubtedly an aesthetic choice. However, it was also virtually unthinkable that an artist could enter the women’s quarters to see them in real life. The paintings were commissioned by the emperor and other nobles and intended for private use.