Angels Bring Food To Jesus In The Wilderness

Muhammad Sharif was an artist under the court of Akbar and later Jahangir. He was closely associated with Mughal emperor Jahangir. He was son of Khwaja Abd al-Samad, one of the most skilled painter. He was skilled in the Indian miniature painting. 'Angels Bring Food To Jesus In The Wilderness' was painted by Muhammad Sharif. It is a folio from Mir'at al-quds (Mirror of Holiness), a Persian biography of Jesus Christ. The manuscript was written by the Spanish Jesuit priest Father Jerome Xavier while it was commissioned by the Mughal emperor, Jahangir. This painting depicts that to end his 40 day fast, 5 of the angles brought refreshment from heaven to Jesus. Which contains bread, melon with knife in it along with leeks, curry, rice and cups of wine. One of the angel is seen wearing feathers while other four are wearing robes. Rocks have faces called as grotesque. This is the only surviving painting of the manuscript, it has artist signature written in the tiny pot around Jesus's foot. It was made for Prince Salim in Allahabad. Later an Indian family in Great Britain, whose grandfather bought the manuscript to England around 1930s to 40s. In 2005 Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch Ltd sold it to The Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is currently located.