Two Pigeons

Unknown

ca. 1650 · Opaque color on paper · Islamic Art

This painting of Two Pigeons is a detailed depiction of the natural world of India in the seventeenth century. Mughal emperors were particularly fond of paintings depicting their world, including portraiture, historical events, and documentation of flora and fauna. This painting fits into a much larger category of plant and animal studies, and records the species present at the Mughal court. The pigeon at left has two golden anklets on its feet, suggesting that these are imperial creatures in the possession of the Emperor.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1650

Medium

Opaque color on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Howard Hodgkin Collection, Purchase, Florence and Herbert Irving Acquisitions, 2020 Benefit, and Dodge Funds; Howard S. and Nancy Marks Gift; Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest; and funds from various donors, 2022