Prince Salim returning from a hunt, 1602-1603 ::

Details

Other Titles: The Emperor Jehangir returning from a hunt
The Emperor Jahangir returning from a hunt
Place where the work was made: North India → India
Cultural origin: Imperial Mughal
Period: Mughal Empire circa 1526 - 1857 → India
Date: 1602-1603
Media categories: Miniature , Painting , Watercolour
Materials used: opaque watercolour with gold on paper
Dimensions: 19.7 x 11.2 cm image; 22.8 x 15.9 cm sheet
Signature & date: Not signed. Not dated.
Credit: Bequest of Miss G. Griffith 1968
Location: Not on display
Accession number: EP1.1968
Copyright: Reproduction requests
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About

The Emperor Jehangir (reigned 1605-27) was, like his father Akbar, a great patron of the arts. Under their enlightened and spirited rule Mughal India embraced the cosmopolitan influence of Persian, European and Indian styles, all of which are to be seen in this image of Jehangir astride an elephant, surveying the scene of his hunting triumphs. The narrative is captured in the jewel-like detail, the bright and engaging colours, the delicate strokes and the delight in beauty. In the more distant reaches of the painting a leopard savages its prey amid green rolling hills, with part of the emperor's retinue visible on the right. The centre is dominated by Jehangir on his elephant, his attention caught by the attendant holding a pair of geese; and in the foreground two more attendants carry dead boar. Typical of the Persian influence in Mughal art are the luminous greens which contrast so richly with the metallic grey of the elephant; the use of relative scale to convey the significance of the subjects; and the interlocking hills interspersed with figures that delineate a kind of perspective.

Art Gallery Handbook, 1999. pg. 291.

Exhibition history

Shown in 3 exhibitions

Divine and Courtly Life in Indian Painting, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 04 Oct 1991–08 Jan 1992
Indian Painting, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 06 Apr 2001–11 Jun 2001
Intimate Encounters: Indian paintings from Australian collections, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 22 Feb 2007–04 May 2007

Bibliography

Referenced in 11 publications

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales picturebook, Sydney, 1972, 133 (colour illus.).
Bruce James, Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, 'Asian Collection: South Asia', pg. 288-297, Sydney, 1999, 291 (colour illus.).
Ann MacArthur, Look, 'Powerful patrons', pg. 47, Sydney, Dec 2009-Jan 2010, 47 (colour illus.).
Jim Masselos, Divine and courtly life in Indian painting, Sydney, 1991, cover (colour illus.). cat.no. 5.1
Jackie Menzies, AGNSW Collections, 'Asian Art - India, South-East Asia, China, Tibet, Korea, Japan', pg. 173-228, Sydney, 1994, 175 (colour illus.).
Jackie Menzies (Editor), The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Mughals and Maharajas: The Miniature Paintings of Courtly India', Sydney, 2003, 38-39 (colour illus.). The colour illus. on page 39 is a detail of this work.
Public Programmes Department, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Adventures in Asia. An education kit for the Asian gallery, Sydney, 2003, 3 (colour illus.). card no.3
Haema Sivanesan, Indian painting, 'Indian Painting', verso of poster., Sydney, 2001. cat.no. 3.2
Lisa Slade and Rachael Kirsten, Enter Art, Sydney, 2000, sheet number 12 (colour illus.). Education kit produced by the NSW Dept of Education and Training as teaching resource for primary school teachers.
Yvonne Tan, Asian Art Newspaper, 'Intimate Encounters, Indian Paintings from Australian Collections', London, Apr 2008, 13(illus.).
Judith White (Editor), Look, Melbourne, Apr 2000.