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Portrait of Emperor Jahangir Riding an Elephant

Unknown

1724

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Mughal Painting 18th Century Portrait Elephant

Dominant colour

Portrait of Emperor Jahangir Riding an Elephant is a 1724 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, depicting Elephant, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1724 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a king in gold armor riding a gray elephant through a stormy river. Lightning cracks the sky, and tiny soldiers march behind him. This painting was made for the Mughal court, where artists worked in teams—one person drew the lines, another painted the colors. The unknown artist gave the elephant wrinkles and the king’s robe tiny flowers, showing off skill without needing a signature. Look up mughal dynasty (1526-1756) to see more of these royal scenes.