Elephant with Mahout

Unknown

ca. 1660 · Opaque color and gold on paper · Islamic Art

Mughal elephant portraits are distinguished for their outstanding observation of these majestic animals, dignifying them to the level of high courtiers by recording every feature with sensitivity. Here an imperial elephant stands in profile surmounted by his mahout, whose smaller scale serves to emphasize the grandeur of the majestic animal. The elephant stands untethered, a sign of his maturity and trustworthiness. It is caparisoned with trappings and bells, sacred orange-painted symbols on the face and a double back cover. While the saddle cloths bring in color accents, all other tones and background details are subdued to give the elephant the full importance on the page.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1660

Medium

Opaque color and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Howard Hodgkin Collection, Purchase, Florence and Herbert Irving Acquisitions and 2020 Benefit Funds; Howard S. and Nancy Marks Gift; Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest; The Mossavar-Rahmani Fund for Iranian Art and funds from various donors, 2022