"Akbar Hunting", Folio from an Akbarnama (History of Akbar)

Not on view

This painting, a display of imperial prowess, strength, and courage, is from a now-dispersed illustrated manuscript of the Akbarnama, the chronicle of Emperor Akbar's life. It shows the emperor lunging from the saddle to strike a lioness with his long-bladed sword, or shamshir shikargar. Below him, a courtier takes a Parthian shot (made facing backward in the saddle while at full gallop) at a second lion attacking from behind. The dynamic and dangerous action of the hunt is set against a beautifully modulated Persian-style rocky landscape, with dense trees and wondrous mountains filling the upper horizon.

"Akbar Hunting", Folio from an Akbarnama (History of Akbar), Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper

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