The Farmar’s Wife Eloping With The Prince
Description
Folios from an illustrated Manuscript of Anwar-I-Suhayli.
The story is a parable illustrating the results of betrayal.
An old man who had a young wife was frustrated and his wife cheered him up pledging her absolute devotion to him. They decided to migrate to a different place. On the way, while the old man was resting with his head on her lap, a prince happened to pass by. He waited there and the woman started lamenting about her miseries due to an old husband. The prince offered to take her away with him, so, pushing the head of the sleeping farmer down, she escaped with the prince.
The scene is laid in the forest full of flowering trees and shrubs. In the centre, the prince and the young woman are shown eloping on horseback and a desolate bewildered and old man, is running behind trying to stop them.Typical Mughal foliage, contrasting colours of the costumes, fine draughtsmanship, modelling of the human body, the masterly treatment of the blue roan and its riders remind one of the works of Abd-al Samad.
In several paintings of this manuscript, the text, written in beautiful Nastaliq script, is introduced as an inset in to the painted area. This is a peculiarity of early Mughal painting often affecting the composition of the painting as well.
Gift of Smt. Alma Latifi from the Collection of Dr. Alma Latifi.
Collection
Indian Miniature Paintings
Object Type
Miniature Painting
Material
opaque watercolour on paper
Schools/Culture/Period
Mughal
Technique
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Date
c. 1575 CE
Location
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Dimension
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