Antelope and deer hunt

Govardhan

The Mughals used trained cheetahs, such as this one wearing a red collar, to capture prey during hunting expeditions in the wilderness. The metaphor of the hunt was also a potent image in Persian literature, in which the protagonist finally achieves a desired goal. The central image of the cheetah catching the black buck—a frequently repeated visual trope—resonates with the desire of Prince Salim (who was passionate about hunting) to capture the throne of the Mughal Empire from Akbar, his father. Between 1600 and 1605, when Prince Salim set up his own royal court in defiance of his father, he convinced some imperial artists to join him. The young Govardhan, a Hindu who would go on to achieve high stature in the atelier of the next two emperors, was one of them.

Artwork details

Artist: Govardhan
Date: c. 1602–4
Medium: Gum tempera and gold on paper
Dimensions: Image: 20 x 11.8 cm (7 7/8 x 4 5/8 in.); Overall: 37 x 25.3 cm (14 9/16 x 9 15/16 in.)
Culture: Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569–1627)
Collection: Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Choose a frame

Select a frame to apply it to this artwork.

portrait artwork · 4133 × 6668 pixels

No frames are available for this image orientation.

Artwork total

Rs. 1040

Artwork cost: Rs. 1000

Qty

SIZE & CUSTOMIZATION

Print surface

Size / customization

Artwork size: 5" × 8"

Whole-inch standard sizes may trim a small amount from the edges. Artwork is never stretched.