The prince, once reprieved, is returned to the palace of execution a second time on the plea of the king’s handmaiden, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a small, busy painting split into two scenes. At the top, a woman kneels before a king on a golden throne, pleading. Below, guards hold a bound prince on his knees, swords ready. This is one page from a book of parrot tales told to Emperor Akbar. The story keeps changing—first the prince is saved, then doomed again. The bright colors and flat shapes make it feel like a comic strip from 1560. To see more paintings like this, look up mughal india, court of akbar (reigned 1556–1605).
