A large and detailed painting, similar to illustrations of historical texts that were produced at the Mughal court. In this scene Timur, the ancestor of the Mughals, is shown receiving the captured Ottoman Sultan Bayezid after the latter's defeat. The entire court has been assembled for this important occasion. We see the amirs and the princes, identified by tiny inscriptions, sitting on the left, while various divisions of the army are shown at the bottom, on the right and at the back, surrounding Timur. Other retinues and court officials are shown stainding on the left side. Timur is sitting in a lavishly decorated pavilion with a young attendant holding a flywhisk on the left. The scene takes place in a Mughal-style architectural complex which consists of a series of courts, pavilions, walls, and gates, with a river crossing behind the main structure. In the far background we may notice the receding landscape and architecture, and the use of atmospheric perspective (description by Mika Natif, 2008).
Notes
Mounted: 36.1 x 27.9 cm.
Gouache and gold on paper; framed in paper painted with orange, gold, and beige borders; entire piece mounted on pasted board. Attributed to the Indian artist Mir Kalan Khan, who was active in the mid-18th century.
Language note
Persian.
Source acquisition
Gift; Robert Garrett (Princeton Class of 1897), 1942.
References
Moghadam, M. E. et al. Garrett collection, no. 205
Other title(s)
Timoor and Bajazet
OCLC
773376254
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