1600
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Jain Ascetic Walking Along a Riverbank is a 1600 unspecified by Basawan, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A monk in white walks barefoot along a riverbank, carrying a book, a broom, and a small pot. His staff leans against his shoulder. This painting was made for Emperor Akbar, who ruled India in the late 1500s. Akbar liked to hear different religions explained, and Jain monks often visited his court. The artist shows the monk’s quiet dignity—no grand gestures, just a person on a path. To see more art from this time, look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605).
Alluding to his wisdom, this white-clad Jain monk carries a manuscript under his left arm, bound with a red cover. Otherwise he carries a Jain monk’s basic accouterments: whisk broom, staff, and pot. This sensitively painted portrait was made for the collection of the Mughal emperor Akbar who was curious about the tenets of Jainism. He admired the explanations of the Jain monks who regularly attended the emperor’s weekly discussion sessions among members of different religious groups.
He carries a book and a fly whisk tucked under his left arm.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Basāwan, or Basāvan, was an Indian miniature painter in the Mughal style. He was known by his contemporaries as a skilled colorist and keen observer of human nature, and for his use of portraiture in the illustrations…
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