Object Details
- Artist
- Imad al-Hasani (died 1615)
- Borders
- Muhammad Baqir (mid-18th century)
- Muhammad Hadi (Iranian, active mid-18th century)
- Court
- Mughal Court
- School/Tradition
- Mughal school
- Description
- The borders (signed by M. Baqir) surrounding the painting are decorated in gold with animals in formalized landscapes.
- The borders (signed and dated 1757-58 by M. Hadi) surrounding the six panels of nasta'liq calligraphy are decorated with large floral arabesques in silver and gold on dark blue.
- Signatures
- Borders surrounding the painting signed by M. Baqir.
- Borders surrounding the painting signed by M. Baqir.
- Label
- Paintings of Mughal kings hunting typically depict their prowess. In contrast, this lyrical hunt scene portrays royal women as elegant observers moving through a verdant landscape. The artist bathes the marshy landscape in washes of rich green color but renders the princesses and the two camouflaged attendants with jewel-like precision. If, however, the attendants' green garb signals their role as hunters, the princesses' diaphanous garments reveal their bodies for the viewer's gaze.
- This painting, which is the earliest Mughal representation of women at the hunt, exemplifies the interest in landscape painting that developed during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 1627-58).
- Provenance
- To 1739
- Mughal Imperial Library, Delhi, to 1739 [1]
- To late 19th century
- Persian Imperial Library, to late 19th century [2]
- B y late 19th century
- Russian Imperial Library (probably), by late 19th century [3]
- Private collection, Europe [4]
- To 1994
- Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd., New York City, to 1994
- From 1994
- Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd. in 1994
- Notes:
- [1] Indian paintings in the St. Petersburg Album were taken from Delhi, India in the 1739 sack of the imperial capital of the Mughal dynasty (1526-1858) by Nadir Shah of Persia.
- Many of the finest Mughal paintings were included in the loot, and several were assembled (in Iran) into an album.
- In the later 19th century, the album was taken apart and dispersed in Europe - with the major portion ending up in the Russian Imperial Collections. Other works were sold through the art market at that time.
- All known pages from the St. Petersburg Album have been out of Iran for a century, and the Indian paintings were taken from India more than 250 years ago (see Curatorial Note 5, Milo C. Beach, March 4, 1994, in the object record).
- [2] See note 1.
- [3] See note 1.
- [4] See note 1.
- Collection
- Freer Gallery of Art Collection
- Exhibition History
- Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas (October 16, 2004 to January 3, 2016)
- Honoring Friends: Recent Gifts by Members of the Freer and Sackler Galleries (June 10 to November 25, 2001)
- Previous custodian or owner
- Mughal Library
- Imperial Library (Tehran)
- Russian Imperial Library
- Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd. (active 1990-2013)
- Credit Line
- Purchase — funds provided by an anonymous donor and the Friends of Asian Arts
- ca. 1680; borders mid-18th c.
- Period
- Mughal dynasty
- Accession Number
- F1994.4
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W (overall): 32.4 x 47.6 cm (12 3/4 x 18 3/4 in)
- Origin
- India
- Related Online Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- See more items in
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
- Topic
- flower
- hunting
- elephant
- Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858)
- India
- South Asian and Himalayan Art
- Record ID
- fsg_F1994.4
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye36108f61c-fca9-4f43-8c00-ffb9327edcd9
