Many South Asian paintings are derived from a text. Frequently these textual sources are unfamiliar to people from other cultures. Some useful keys to unlocking the contents of South Asian paintings, even when the textual source is unknown, are given below, using one image as an example.

The suggestions are meant to guide your looking. Artists use these key features to convey meaning in visual terms. Looking for these aspects of a picture will often reveal the subtleties that the visual arts offer to amplify meaning within a written text.

• About the Collection
• The Eight Keys to the Visual Language of South Asian Painting
• How These Paintings Were Made
• Where These Paintings Were Made

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