A Lion Hunt

Maker(s)
Artist: Possibly by Muhammad Sharif
Historical period(s)
Mughal dynasty, Reign of Jahangir, ca. 1600
Movement
Mughal Court
School
Mughal School
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 18.6 x 10.6 cm (7 5/16 x 4 3/16 in)
Geography
India, Uttar Pradesh state, Allahabad
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1946.17
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Album, Painting
Type

Album leaf with painting

Keywords
father, hunting, India, lion, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), nasta'liq script, poems, Reign of Jahangir (1605 - 1627)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

Between 1600 and 1604, theMughal prince Salim (the future emperor Jahangir) established a court at Allahabad in defiance of his father, the emperor Akbar (reigned 1556–1604). Along with plotting against his father, Salim spent his time in Allahabad commissioning paintings and hunting. In this work, the prince, who can be identified by his jutting jaw and drooping mustache, rides a white steed. Intriguingly, in spite of Salim’s conflict with his father, the painter endowed the rider on the brown horse with Akbar’s profile and gave him the honor of the kill.

Published References
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court., 2nd ed. Washington and Ahmedabad, India, 2012. cat. 46, p. 174.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court. Exh. cat. Washington, 1981. cat. 20, p. 193.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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