The Human Royal Meets the Wild One

Elephant was always the source of fascination for the Mughal emperors. Its brilliance, its utility in the battlefield and its sheer size held them in awe. They received special care and treatment in the royal stables.

A major part of the painting and the entire foreground sees the pachyderm, its mahaout and the emperor. The artist has taken care to maintain the proportion between man and animal form. The tusker emerging from the right side of the frame is covered in a rich over-cloth; ornaments decorate its neck and forehead as it raises its trunk. The emperor oversees the elephant being fed of majestic bearing the emperor has his hand on the sword and the other holds a baton. A simply dressed mahaout holds sugarcanes, in the process of feeding the giant animal. The elephant, having received the portion off the stack, raises its trunk in acknowledgement. The colour, line and form strictly follow the Mughal norm.

The background deviates sharply from the foreground. The colour palette, the vegetation and the architecture have European elements. The back and the foreground belong distinctly to different genres but the artist has juxtaposed them well.

This description by Renu Rana.

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