Bishandas, also Bishan Das, was an Indian painter during the Mughal era. He was a painter in the court of Prince Salim, later Badshaha Jahangir (1569–1627), specializing particularly in portraits. Bishandas had the reputation of being unequalled for his ability to create a realistic likeness of his models. Bishan das created realistic court & battle scenes. Jahangir especially sponsored these realistic paintings and accurate portraiture. Salim had praised Bishandas as "unrivalled in the art of portraiture".
Vasiṣṭha Greets Shiva and Parvati(1602), is attributed to Bishandas. This artwork is a refined Mughal miniature Painting from an illustrated Persian translation of The Yoga Vasistha. Das has shown the sage Vasiṣṭha greeting the divine couple, Lord Shiva and Godess Parvati. The environment is set within a serene and idealized landscape. Executed with delicate brushwork and subtle coloration, with being gold used in some areas. The painting has shown the artist's emphasis on natural elements, precise portraiture, with dark colours generally predominant in the painting. At the same time, the artwork also reveals the Mughal court’s engagement with Hindu philosophy (The Yoga Vasistha) and mythology, and its synthesis with Persian artistic conventions which was at its peak during the reign of Akbar & his son Jahangir.
On the right we see an elderly sage sitting within a cave, a symbol of meditation, gesturing as if he is teaching. The central visitor is a blue-skinned figure identifiable as Lord Shiva, marked by a crescent moon in his hair and serpent-like features. He is accompanied by an attendant, likely Parvati.In the front, you can see different levels of devotion, with people showing respect and worship. As for the composition, we see a vertical perspective that is a characteristic of Mughal miniatures. Figures are stacked on top of each other to indicate the depth of the spiritual hierarchy.
