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Akbar and Jahangir Examine a Ghir Falcon while Prince Khusrau Stands Behind

Unknown

1603

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Mughal Painting Renaissance Baroque Portrait

Dominant colour

Akbar and Jahangir Examine a Ghir Falcon while Prince Khusrau Stands Behind is a 1603 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1603 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see three men under a red canopy: an old emperor holding a falcon, his son offering it, and a younger prince standing behind. The falcon is a gift from Prince Salim, who later became Emperor Jahangir. The bird’s jesses—leather straps—are painted so thin you can almost feel them. The antelope at their feet wears a tiny bell, a quiet sign of royal power over wild things. Look up more mughal india, indian art to see how these small details tell big stories.

The story of this work

Overview

Emperor Akbar sits against a purple bolster under a canopy looking aged and careworn, probably not long before his death. He examines a trained falcon of the type that the Mughals used in hunting. This falcon appears to be from Akbar’s son, Prince Salim, who stands before him in a gesture of gift-giving. A stately black antelope, a wild animal now a pet, harnessed and wearing a bell, crouches at the foot of the steps leading up to the canopied platform.