Open full image Pin

The Brahman comes upon a lion who has a deer and a gazelle as his viziers, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-first Night

Unknown

1560

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Mughal Painting Renaissance Renaissance Animal

Dominant colour

The Brahman comes upon a lion who has a deer and a gazelle as his viziers, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-first Night is a 1560 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1560 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a man in a white robe walking toward a lion lounging by a river. The lion has two animals—deer and gazelle—standing like advisors beside him. The scene looks like a quiet meeting, not a hunt. This painting comes from a book of parrot tales made for Emperor Akbar’s court. The story says the lion gives the man treasure, turning bad luck into good. The tiny details—flowers, ripples in the water—show how much care went into every inch. To see more paintings like this, look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605).

The story of this work

Overview

On the left, the wary Brahman approaches the great lion, who rests on the banks of a river. Before the lion can attack, the deer and the gazelle step in and council him to receive the Brahman kindly. The Brahman has wandered into the wilderness after losing all of his wealth, but the lion gifts him an immense treasure.