Jain Ascetic Walking Along a Riverbank

Also known as: A Young Ascetic Walking by the Bank of a River; Jain Ascetic Shantichandra Walking Along a Riverbank

About the Artwork

Alluding to his wisdom, this white-clad Jain monk carries a manuscript under his left arm, bound with a red cover. Otherwise he carries a Jain monk’s basic accouterments: whisk broom, staff, and pot. This sensitively painted portrait was made for the collection of the Mughal emperor Akbar who was curious about the tenets of Jainism. He admired the explanations of the Jain monks who regularly attended the emperor’s weekly discussion sessions among members of different religious groups.

Inscriptions

amal-i behzad; amal-i Basawan ... [?]chandra

Provenance

?–1967: (Herbert N. Bier [1905–1981], Cleveland, OH, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) 1967–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

Year in Review for 1968. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 29-March 9, 1969). The Peaceful Conquerors: Jain Art from India. New Orleans Museum of Art (June 29-September 17, 1995); Victoria and Albert Museum (November 22, 1995-February 18, 1996). Highlights of Asian Paintings from The Cleveland Museum of Art. Nara National Museum (organizer) (February 21-March 29, 1998); Suntory Museum of Art (April 28-June 21, 1998). The Indian Portrait, 1560-1860. National Portrait Gallery, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (organizer) (March 11-June 20, 2010). Yoga: The Art of Transformation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (June 22-September 7, 2014). Text and Image in Southern Asia. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26, 2022-March 5, 2023).

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.

Quick Overview

Artist: Basavana (Indian, active c. 1560–1600)
Date: c. 1600
Medium: gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions: Painting: 14.7 x 9.8 cm (5 13/16 x 3 7/8 in.); Overall: 38.8 x 26.3 cm (15 1/4 x 10 3/8 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Credit line: Severance and Greta Millikin Collection
Accession no.: 1967.244

More by Basavana in museum collections

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