Free Library of Philadelphia (John Frederick Lewis Collection), Call number / Accession: Lewis M 36
Location History:
Created c. 1615 in Mughal India by Nanha. Acquired by collector John Frederick Lewis (1860–1932). Gifted by his widow Anne Baker Lewis to the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1933, where it remains (Lewis M 36).
Nanha is a painter from Mughal time in India. He work for big kings like Akbar and Jahangir. He make many pictures. One picture is called Perils of the Hunt. It also call Lion Attacking a Hunter. He make this picture around year 1615.
The picture is on silk cloth. Not on normal paper. Silk is smooth and special. Nanha put paint on the silk. The paint is thick colour paint like gouache. He paste the silk on hard board so it stay good.
In the picture one big lion jump on a man. The man is hunter. Lion put claws on him and bite hard. Hunter look scared. He try to fight but lion is strong. Background has some trees and ground. Colours are bright but old now.
This picture show danger of hunting. Lion is wild animal. Hunter go for hunt but animal attack back. Nanha like to draw lion scenes. He put his name small on the picture.
Now this painting stay in Free Library of Philadelphia in America. One man name John Frederick Lewis collect it long time ago. His wife give it to library in 1933. Library keep it safe with number Lewis M 36.
Nanha die long back but his pictures still people see. This one is different because on silk. Most Mughal pictures on paper. Silk make it rare.
Overall, I interpret Perils of the Hunt as a representation of human vulnerability in the face of nature. Rather than portraying hunting simply as an achievement of human courage, Nanha reminds the viewer that the natural world possesses its own power and agency. The painting can therefore be seen as a dramatic meditation on power, danger, survival, and the fragile boundary between the hunter and the hunted.
