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The wolf advises the lion to consult the cat, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifteenth Night

Unknown

1560

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory Tiger

Dominant colour

The wolf advises the lion to consult the cat, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifteenth Night is a 1560 unspecified by Unknown, a Renaissance work, depicting Tiger, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

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

About this work

A tiger crouches under a tree, talking to a wolf by a stream. A cat stands nearby, listening. The animals look almost human—dressed in robes, making serious faces. This painting comes from a book of parrot tales made for Emperor Akbar’s court. The story is about solving problems with cleverness, not force. The bright colors and fine details show how artists worked for Mughal rulers, blending Persian and Indian styles. To see more art like this, look up *Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)*.

The story of this work

Overview

The painting depicts an old tiger, crouching under a tree by a stream looking plaintively at a wolf, with whom he has just shared his troubles with the mice. The wolf suggested that the cat be called to eliminate the mice. The cat has dutifully arrived and requests that he be given the position of Magistrate of the Court, to which the lion agreed. The cat instilled fear in the mice; they dispersed, and the lion was content. Wisely, however, the cat treated the mice with consideration and did not exterminate them completely, so that he would not eliminate the cause of his usefulness. Although…