Artwork

Stenciled Scenes of Lion and Gazelle (verso)

Stenciled Scenes of Lion and Gazelle (verso) is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1710 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work is a rectangular painted panel, its surface softened by age and a modest decorative border of intertwined leaves and vines.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting shows a lion locked in combat with a gazelle, a scene rendered in stencil technique on the reverse of the canvas.

The painting shows a lion locked in combat with a gazelle, a scene rendered in stencil technique on the reverse of the canvas. The work was created in 1710 within the Mughal Empire and later entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The lion and gazelle function as symbolic figures, representing strength and swiftness in opposition, a common motif in Mughal visual narratives that convey power dynamics and natural hierarchy.

Technique & Style

The work is a painting on paper, stenciled to depict a lion and gazelle scene on the verso. It originates from the Mughal Empire and was created in 1710. The piece is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art collection and was accessioned in 2013 under the identifier 2013.336.b.

History & Provenance

The work Stenciled Scenes of Lion and Gazelle (verso) is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland. It is cataloged under the accession number 2013.336.b. The painting, created in 1710, is part of the museum's collection and depicts floral motifs alongside the titular animals. No specific exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.

Overview

The work is a rectangular painted panel, its surface softened by age and a modest decorative border of intertwined leaves and vines. Within the frame, a lion and a gazelle occupy opposite sides of a slender branch adorned with tiny leaves and blossoms. The palette is muted, rendered in delicate outlines that give the figures a faint, almost ethereal presence.