Part of the bequest of the Right Honourable Harriet Sarah Baroness Wantage, of Locking House, Wantage Berks, widow of the first and last Baron Wantage
The marvellous painting of the Himalayan wild goat by Mughal artist, Inayat captures the simplicity of nature and wildlife in an intricate fashion. It was painted in 1607, during the reign of Mughal emperor, Jahangir, using opaque watercolour and gold on paper. The animal imagery indicates an exotic animal looking similar to an antelope and an ibex. The unusual horned being appears frequently in Jahangir's memoir, the "Tuzuk-i Jahangiri". Though, Humayun is credited with the origin of Mughal animal portraiture, it was Jahangir, the keen observer, who encouraged the patronage of paintings of flora and fauna, with detailed foliage. The floral gold border of flowers and leaves suggests Persian influence on the Mughal naturalistic design.
The wild mountain goat, also known as the "markhor" or "capra falconeri", is compared to the Rang or ibex. In the artwork, its spiraling horns are bent backwards, suggesting its identity as a wild goat, scientifically named "capra hircus." According to the memoirs of Jahangir, the animal, whose horns measured one and a half yards, was first introduced into the Mughal Empire by the Afghans. The old goat symbolises wisdom, strength, and bravery, enriching the core ethos of Islamic traditions. The light green neutral background provides a sense of calmness and stability.
The watercolor form paves novel ways of understanding, critiquing, and looking at the paintings of the East through orientalist nuances.
‘Himalayan Wild Goat’ by the Mughal artist Inayat is part of the long line of Mughal paintings focused on flora and fauna. It depicts the wild goat in earthy colours against a light background, with soft, deliberate brush strokes that capture the beauty of the Markhor, one of the rarest goat species of the subcontinent. Jahangir, under whom this work was made, has written of the unique, spiralling horns and the apparently delicious meat of the Markhor, writing of how he kept 2 male mankhors in Ahmedabad. The darker colours against the lighter background and the spiralling horns makes the Markhor a striking and eye-catching image, enhanced by the intricate and thick gold border around the work.
