Acquired by the Princeton University Art Museum in 2023
Location History:
Sold at Sotheby’s Parke Bernet on 25 October 1921 (lot 244); subsequently held in a private collection in the United States from 1921; later in the collection of Francesca Galloway until 2023.
The painting by Kamal, a renowned painter in 16th-century India, dates back to 1589 AD. Painted with watercolors on a 30.5 × 17.5 cm paper is part of a manuscript called Razmnama (Book of War), one of the many translations that the Mughal Emperor Akbar rendered during his reign. It is the translation of one of the greatest Indian epics, the Mahabharata, into Persian.
The painting, Arjuna Sets Kama's Arrow Alight, depicts the ferocious duel between Arjuna and Karna (Kama). In the Mahabharata, they are depicted as the arch-nemeses, and the painting depicts their wrath in the war when they are faced with each other. The color scheme brings forward a deep contrast, depicting power and destruction using bright colors like orange and red, signifying the chaos of the war. However, it is contrasted by the earthly shades of green, yellow, and brown, which might depict the serenity and peace of nature. This contrast brings an eccentricity into the painting, making the war even more dramatic.
The painting also presents an interesting amalgamation of Persian and Indian styles of art through the landscape. The features and color palette of the hills and mountains, as part of the landscape, are painted in the peculiar way of Persian miniature art. Whereas the foliage depicts the native form of Indian imagery.
The painting, when viewed from the present day, brings to life two timelines. One is that of Mughal India and the other of the times of Mahabharata. It is an exquisite example of how art does not identify the boundaries of time and can move non-linearly through ages.
Kamal has depicted a dramatic moment in the Great War between two rival heroes where they face each other in their chariots. It captures a scene of supernatural combat, embodying the cultural fusion of Mughal India in the 16th century.
