The Youth Accidentally Hits the Target
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Gouache |
| Current Location: | Cincinnati Art Museum |
| Location History: | The Youth Accidentally Hits the Target, Page from a dispersed copy of the Gulistan by Sa’di, circa 1595–1600, or later, India, Mughal period (1526–1857), opaque watercolor and gold on paper, Gift of John J. Emery, 1951.299 |
The Youth Hits the Goal by Farrukh Chela is an outstanding exemplar of the Indian miniature genre that fuses storytelling, movement and supreme finesse of making the artwork live. According to the creator's intention, this is a surprising archery shoot of the young man where the goal has been reached unintentionally. This theme makes the painting dynamic and unusual. The visual structure puts the youth into the focus together with the events around him. Although the figures are skillfully composed in the depicted scenes, the surroundings create an eye-catching landscape. The lines of the artwork are drawn delicately; the details and colors are used properly. The artist takes great care of the clothing, movement and expression of emotions so that the audience can understand everything without any additional information or comments.Unintentional success of the young archer brings a touch of humor and irony to the story. Rather than illustrating heroic accomplishments the painting conveys the amusing moment when good luck achieved amazing results. Thus, it shows how miniature art can depict not only religious and court scenes but also the bright human life situations. Overall, The Youth Accidentally Hits the Target stands out due to its narrative quality, precision of execution, and comical theme.