Akbar Hunting a Tiger Near Gwalior
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Location History: | The Akbarnama, or "Book of Akbar", was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between ca. 1592 and 1594 by at least forty-nine different artists from Akbar's studio. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r.1605-1627) and later Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it in 1896 from Mrs. Frances Clarke, the widow of Major General John Clarke, an official who had been the Commissioner in Oudh province between 1858 and 1862. |
“Akbar Hunting a Tiger Near Gwalior” is a beautiful work of art by the Mughal artists Tara Kalan, also known as Tara the Elder, and Basawan. The painting is a part of the Akbarnama, the biography written by Abul Fazl. The work is a double paged painting, and depicts the Mughal monarch Akbar engaged in a hunt in Gwalior. In the scene, the Royal hunting entourage disturbed a tigress and her cubs, prompting her to attack them. While every other courtier stood paralyzed in fear and shock, Akbar sprang up in courage, and slew the aggressive tigress in combat with a single blow of his sword. Thus, the work displays the bravery and power of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar, able to act when no one else could. The scene, likely constructed by Abul Fazl, is used to elevate the character of the Mughal Emperor and display him as someone who can act when no one else can. An emperor who does not simply sit, rather attacks when seeing death in front of his eyes. The work is expertly done by the artists. The courtiers around all look shocked, either running away or haphazardly trying to help. Meanwhile, Akbar is shown riding on a horse, beheading the tigress with a sharp blow from his sword. He is depicted with great calmness and poise. This work is also the first depiction of white tigers in the world.
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