1590
watercolor
paper
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
The Young Emperor Akbar Arrests the Insolent Shah Abu’l-Maali, Page from a Manuscript of the Akbarnama is a 1590 watercolor by Basawan, a Mughal Painting work, depicting Made for Prince Salim, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
You see a young boy on a gold throne, watching soldiers grab a man in a red robe. The scene unfolds in a garden tent, with tiny trees and patterned carpets underfoot. This painting is from a book about Emperor Akbar’s life, made for him when he was just a teenager. The artist shows the moment Akbar proves he’s in charge—three days after taking the throne. Every face, fabric, and leaf is painted with fine brushes and bright colors. To see how artists built layers of color like this, look up glazing.
This is a page from the Akbarnama (Book of Akbar), a lavishly illustrated manuscript commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) to document the history of his rule. The scene shows the emperor at age thirteen, three days after his accession. Seated on a gold throne on a carpeted platform, Akbar watches as his late father’s favorite courtier is arrested for his insolent behavior toward the young emperor. The setting—a tented encampment pitched in a garden—is significant, for Akbar spent much of his reign on the move. Through his active campaigning and strong administrative…
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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