Painting of a fight between a lion and a buffalo near a forest pool

“Painting of a Fight between a Lion and a Buffalo near a Forest Pool” is a picturesque work of natural art, attributable to Mihr Chand, the esteemed Awadhi Mughal artist who served in the court of Shuja ud-Daulah. The work depicts a lion and a buffalo locked together in close combat. The buffalo is depicted powerfully, with a thick black coat, strong horns, and his large frame dominating the composition, while the lion is shown attacking the buffalo on the head, with a prideful mane and coat. We see the buffalo possibly having the upper hand, having pierced the lion as blood is clearly visible on the lion’s torso. The flora of the forest is also well depicted by Mihr Chand, known for his naturalistic works. We see numerous different plants surrounding the two animals as the battle for supremacy. Mihr Chand was a well known master in the Allahabad school of painting. He was trained in the school by his father, Ganga Ram, who was possibly a painter in Late Mughal Delhi. In 1759, he wound up in Allahabad, likely serving under the Mughal Prince Ali Gauhar. Following the Mughal prince Ali Gauhar’s flight from Delhi, Chand moved between Benaras, and Azimabad. He later moved to Faizabad in 1763, which was held by Shua-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Awadh, who was turning the city into a cultural center. Important here was his service as the head of the personal atelier of Antoine Polier, who was an EIC officer and chief engineer at the court of Shuja-ud-Daula.