Diagrams of the Universe — The Two-and-a-Half Continents

This gum tempera painting features a vibrant, stylized forest setting where a nobleman on a white horse is greeted by a group of women. Suspended from a large tree above, a woman plays on a swing while another watches, while a second group of figures stands to the side. The work uses rich color palettes and detailed ornamental patterns characteristic of early 17th-century Gujarati manuscript painting.

This piece represents the development of regional Indian painting traditions that often served to visualize narrative content from classical Sanskrit and vernacular literary cycles, reflecting the intersection of courtly life and poetic romance.