Galaxy of Musicians

What you see

A group of women fills the canvas in two rows, almost like a group photograph. In front, seated on a rug, one in white plays a stringed instrument with a round body, another a violin, and at the center a woman in a red sari holds a long-necked instrument. Behind, standing or seated, others look on; one holds a black fan and another wears a European hat with feathers.

The dark red background, almost featureless, sets off the lit faces and the colors of the fabrics: yellow, red, white, green, orange. Jewelry gleams at necks, ears and wrists. Notice the woman in the white veil on the right, leaning back with a faraway gaze, and the orange signature in the lower left corner.