Description
A page from a book of paintings that would have included images of various entertainments in India, this painting is rendered in a European style for British consumption. The label Juggler is written in a Victorian-era hand in the margin below. The main figure is seated on the ground with his knees drawn tightly up under his chin, reinforcing a Western stereotype that all Indian people can do physical feats with their bodies, like yogis. On display are his talents of manipulating balls on a two-stringed bow, called “juggling” by the British owner of the painting for lack of a better moniker. His performance was intended to create a spectacle for entertainment and income. This painting would have been made for sale too, in the new economy under British dominance in which Indian artists made documentary pictures for foreign overlords.
Provenance
William E. Ward [1922–2004] and Ellen Svec Ward [1921–1989], Solon, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–1982); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1982–)
Accession Number
1982.119
Medium
ink and gouache on paper
Dimensions
Overall: 17.2 x 12.7 cm (6 3/4 x 5 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Ward