Lovers' Dalliance c. mid 17th century

Editor: Here we have Muhammad Qasim’s "Lovers' Dalliance". The figures seem delicately posed, yet there's an interesting contrast between the smooth bodies and the somewhat rough landscape. What strikes you first about this piece? Curator: The composition is intriguing. Note how the artist uses the yellow drapery to guide the viewer’s eye across the reclining figure, connecting it to the kneeling one. Observe the interplay of line and form. What sort of structural relationships do you see? Editor: I see how the lines of the cloth create a diagonal that leads to the other figure. Curator: Precisely. Now consider how the artist contrasts the textures. The soft rendering of the bodies against the more stylized landscape elements creates a visual tension. What does this tension suggest to you? Editor: Maybe a contrast between intimacy and the outside world? I see a lot more now, thank you!