Babur at the Capture of Kabul in 910 H (A.D. 1504) from an Akbarnama

Maker(s)
Artist: Mahesh Basawan
Historical period(s)
Mughal dynasty, Reign of Akbar, 1586-90
Movement
Mughal Court
School
Mughal School
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 36.6 x 23.9 cm (14 7/16 x 9 7/16 in)
Geography
India
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1945.27
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
elephant, emperor, India, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), nasta'liq script, Reign of Akbar (1556 - 1605)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

During the 1580s, the Emperor Akbar became increasingly interested in illustrations of historical or natural history subject matter, and these replaced his earlier concern for such tales of fantasy as the Hamza-nama. Among Akbar's projects was an illustrated historical account of his own reign, and this began by discussing the events preceding his birth. Babur, shown here, was his grandfather and the first Mughal emperor.

Published References
  • W. Staude. Contribution a l'Etude de Basawan. tome. 8, no.1 Paris. .
  • Edgar Blochet. Catalogue of an Exhibition of Persian Paintings...held at the Gallery Demotte Inc. Exh. cat. New York. .
  • Howard Hollis and Company, The Cleveland Museum of Art. Islamic Art: Selected Examples from the Loan Exhibiton of Islamic Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Exh. cat. Cleveland. p. 25.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court., 2nd ed. Washington and Ahmedabad, India, 2012. cat. 9, pp. 68-9.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court. Exh. cat. Washington, 1981. cat. 9, pp. 86-7, 12, 28.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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