Portraits of the royal ruler and his associates were among the most popular of all Indian painting commissions. Under Mughal patronage, realistic portraits were preferred. However, they did not show concern for the effects of light and shade and instead emphasised the features of the face and clothing through detailed brush work. Queens and princesses were also the subjects of portraits, but the other women of the court were more frequently shown in the context of formulaic scenes were individuals and groups of women were shown at rest or leisure in their quarters. Because this type of painting was regularly commissioned by a male patron these scenes often conveyed a sense of idleness and longing, inferring that the women depicted were in need or were awaiting a male companion. Likewise, images of women dressing, bathing or dancing were designed for the pleasure of men. During the Mughal period, European pictorial conventions and subjects were embraced by the court painters and so it is not uncommon to see Mughal court scenes that include aspects of European life and fashion.