Three Trees of India
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | Metropolitan Museum of Art |
| Location History: | Created in the Mughal imperial court during Akbar’s reign |
I believe the artwork, 'Three Trees of India' exemplifies Mughal priorities of art and Islamic influence. The lote tree in the Baburnama folio allegedly makes numerous appearances in the Quran, possibly hinting at why the work was created in the first place. This particular piece may speak to the Islamic belief of humans as stewards or caretakers of nature, God's creation. The study of nature, rather than human figure, may mark a distinct hierarchy between living things. Level of detail, and the accompanying Persian descriptions of each tree and their fruits, could represent the period's facination with natural and scientific observation of the surrounding world. Regardless of percieved meanins of Islamic vitality or observational cadence, the artwork remains an integral clue in understanding the past splendor of the Mughal world, and their heavy patronage of the arts.