Emperor Babur with Attendants in a Garden

Historical period(s)
Mughal dynasty, Reign of Babur, ca. 1590
Movement
Mughal Court
School
Mughal School
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 19.1 x 12.2 cm (7 1/2 x 4 13/16 in)
Geography
India
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1954.27
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Painting

Keywords
attendant, emperor, garden, India, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

The central figure in this composition has been identified as Babur, the second Mughal emperor (reigned 1526-30). An avid naturalist, Babur commissioned numerous gardens outside fortresses and citadels to symbolize his claim over his newly conquered domain. In this drawing, the rocky mountains of the background suggest a relatively untamed setting for the garden, which is dominated by a canopied platform. Placed at the intersection of a small pool and four water channels, the structure serves much like a throne, the definitive emblem of royal power and sovereignty.

Published References
  • The Moonlight Garden: New Discoveries at the Taj Mahal. Washington, 2000. p. 42.
  • Dr. Esin Atil. The Brush of the Masters: Drawings from Iran and India. Exh. cat. Washington, 1978. cat. 61, pp. 102-103.
  • Elizabeth B. Moynihan. Paradise as a Garden: Persia and Mughal India. World Landscape Art and Architecture Series New York. p. 108.
  • Dr. Esin Atil. Emperors, Peris, and Demons in Near Eastern Art. Washington, November 1978. p. 148.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court., 2nd ed. Washington and Ahmedabad, India, 2012. cat. 26, p. 154, fig. 43.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court. Exh. cat. Washington, 1981. cat. 26, pp. 198-199.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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