Akbar Receives News of the Victory at Gogunda from an Akbarnama

Maker(s)
Artist: Attributed to Manohar (active 1582ā€“ca. 1624)
Historical period(s)
Mughal dynasty, Reign of Akbar, ca. 1596-1600
Movement
Mughal Court
School
Mughal School
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W (painting): 26.3 Ɨ 14.2 cm (10 3/8 Ɨ 5 9/16 in)
Geography
India
Credit Line
Purchase ā€” Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1960.28
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
India, lute, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), Reign of Akbar (1556 - 1605)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

This page from the Akbarnama (History of Akbar) written by Akbar's trusted adviser Abul Fazl, illustrates the emperor seated in regal isolation at the center of the painting, listening to a petition being presented to him by a noble. The European depicted near the bottom left demonstrates the cosmopolitan mix of people at court as well as Akbar's interest in the portrayal of different types of people
The artist Manohar was specially interested in depicting the majesty of the imperial Mughal court; in stressing surface designs rather than spatial values, he created brilliantly patterned compositions. 

Published References
  • Amin Jaffer. Beyond Extravegance: A Royal Collection of Gems and Jewels. vols. 1-2, , 2nd ed. New York. pg. 79.
  • I.N. Khan Arshi. Black Taj Mahal: The Emperor's Missing Tomb. New Delhi. .
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court. Exh. cat. Washington, 1981. cat. 12g, pp. 12,23,29,119.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court., 2nd ed. Washington and Ahmedabad, India, 2012. cat. 10G, p. 76.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Gulshan Album and the Workshops of Prince Salim. vol. 73, no. 2 Zurich. pp. 429-77, fig. 2.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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