A Courtier with a Falcon

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The painting represents a Mughal courtier with a falcon, on a hunting errand. The practice of using falcons as an instrument of hunting in India has been in prevalence since early days, however its assimilation in regalia does not go beyond Jahangir's era. A painting of around 1600-1610, which portrays Jahangir holding a falcon, widely attributed to Manohar, an artist of Mughal court of Akbar's and later of Jahangir's days, now with the Brooklyn Museum, United States, is considered to be the earliest to incorporate a falcon as a royal symbol with an imperial figure. By the 18th century falcons, both as an instrument of hunting and an element of regalia, had come to be highly popular with the artists. They added the falcon element even with the portrait of the Sikh's tenth guru, Gobind Singh, though contrarily Guru Gobind Singh is known to equate the falcon with Mughal imperialism when he avouched 'chirion se baj laraoon', that is, he wished he could boost the morale of the masses to stand against the Mughals' unjust rule. In the known early 18th century Baz Bahadur-Roopmati painting from Hyderabad, Deccan, now with the National Museum, New Delhi, the falcon has been used as an instrument of hunting.

Here too in this painting the beautiful falcon is obviously an instrument of hunting. The artist has painted the courtier in ankle-jacks, a tight fitted jama, and a shield and a falcon, that is, one to instrument the defence and the other the attack. The figure has his right hand covered with a leather glove, essentially for protecting it from the falcon's sharp nails. He appears to be directing the falcon to some purpose.

The courtier has been depicted with fine and sharp Mughalia features; the long fine fingers, sharp nose, well defined neck, deep eyes and elegantly trimmed beard. The gold-work on his jama, shoes, turban, shield and sword is superb. Green with turquoise tint alone constitutes the back-drop, the sky above with a deeper tint, and earth below with a few flowering shrubs. Against such deep background the artist has effectively discovered his figure and yet more effectively the strength of his lighter tints.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.