Babur supervising the laying out of the Garden of Fidelity
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Gouache |
| Current Location: | Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK |
| Location History: | Bought from Messrs Luzac & Co., 46 Great Russell Street, London, for £39.2s.6d (with IM.276-1913). S.A.A Rizvi, in Religious and Intellectual History of the Muslims in Akbar's Reign (Delhi, 1975, 220-221), notes: The Babur Nama, in Chaghta'i Turkish, a mine of information relating to Central Asia, Kabul and India, was of an absorbing interest for the Indian Timurids. The portions relating to the Indian period of Babur's autobiography had already been translated by his sadr, Zainu'd Din Khwafi, into Persian. In 994/1584 Mirza Payandah Hasan Ghaznavi commenced its translation at the insistence of Bihruz Khan (who was afterwards given the title of Naurang Khan by Akbar and died as a governor of Junahgarh in 1002/1593-94), but he could not translate the account beyond the first sixth and a part of the seventh year. Subsequently one Muhammad Quli Mughal HIsari continued the work and brought it down to 935/1528-29. Akbar ordered Mirza 'Abdu'r Rahim Khan-i Khanan to translate it again and he completed the work in 998/1589. He presented his translation to the Emperor as he was returning from Kabul on 24 November 1589. The Khan-i Khanan excelled all the previous translators. Purchased from Messrs luzac & Co., 46 Great Russell Street. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. |
Created in the period of Akbar the Great, this piece of art serves as an illustration to the memoirs of Babur called Baburnama. Akbar decided to translate Babur's memoirs into Persian and illustrated some copies to reveal the importance of Timurid ancestry. This specific illustration is a part of the double page. Today left and right sections of this artwork are in international collections, one of the examples being Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The piece was acquired from dealers such as Messrs Luzac and Company. The miniature represents Babur (1483 – 1530), the Mughal emperor, overseeing the designing and building process of the Bagh-i Wafa (Garden of Fidelity) which he created in 1508. Babur describes in his memoirs his love towards gardening and landscape architecture. The design of the painting is based on the classical chahr-bagh or four-part paradise garden layout, with clear-cut geometrical divisions created by symmetrically located water canals and walking paths. It captures workers, builders, and gardeners busy with transporting stones, measuring, planting trees, and digging soil all under the careful supervision of the king. While the event depicted in the painting recalls Babur's memories of the 16th century, the grid plan, motifs of architecture, and costumes showcase the 16th century artistic approach of Akbar's time. The artist used opaque watercolor (gouache) and gold paint on paper for the artwork, which indicates the collaborative nature of the imperial Mughal art studio. Bishan Das is known for his great talent in making portraits and accurately depicting human likenesses, and he worked side by side with Nanha, another talented painter (who is credited with creating the expressions on the faces). The art style makes a connection between the tradition of Persian miniature paintings and the separate phenomenon of naturalism and the use of objects which was invented thanks to the Mughal Empire. The use of vivid mineral colors, high-quality detailing of the ornamental plants and fabrics used in the painting, and birds-eye view require the audience to see the main features of the entire landscape work. The importance of land elements is the way of demonstrating the broad transition to realism that took place in the period of Mughal painting.