The Owner of The Garden Discovering Maidens Bathing in the Pool
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | The British Library; Or. 12208, f.220 |
Sanwlah (Sānwalah) was a painter who worked in the Mughal workshop from the 1500s to the early 1600s. He was one of the artists who worked on Akbars manuscript projects. His paintings are part of the Akbari style. This style mixes traditions with careful observation of nature, buildings, people and space. The 1595 Khamsa of Nizami shows this mix of cultures and teamwork. In this page the owner of a garden finds young women bathing in a pool. This is a story told by the princess. Sanwlah makes this moment into a scene of refined enjoyment. The picture goes up in levels: the pool where the women bathe the garden with cypress trees, a pavilion, faraway hills and a stream that winds through. The strong shapes of buildings look good against the flowing shapes of trees, flowers and water. The women are in groups. People who help them and musicians add life to the garden making the scene feel calm and moving. One thing that stands out is the care given to clothing with patterns, tiles, soft leaves and different faces and actions. Compared to Manohars quiet and focused scenes, in the same Khamsa Sanwlah shows more of the landscape and buildings. His garden is not a background but a part of the story. He turns a story from a book into a picture of a Mughal paradise.
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