The Portrait of a Knight

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

This royal personage, away from his glows and glamours, is enjoying his solitude with his 'companions', against the backdrop of nature. Save his distinguishing crown , and of course the princely grace on his face accentuated by his elegantly trimmed beard, he has been portrayed as an ordinary mortal. He is sporting with the animals, one held upon his shoulders, while the other, sitting by his side, awaits its turn, whether to ride the regal shoulders or to kiss the mouth of its beloved is not known. It seems the royal personage, away from his own love, is seeking his delight in separating, though only temporarily and for the sake of fun, the loving animal couple from each other.

The artist has skilfully discovered his forms by using the technique of increasing the depth of color pigments. The animals' pale yellow, when used in a deeper tint, becomes the king's body color. With further depths added, it defines the lower and upper costumes and finally his beard. The sky is made up of yellow, magenta, black and blue strips, which, when blended together, create the backdrop.

The painting has reflections of an Arabian folk tale: A knight truly and madly in love with a desert maid, spent each of his evenings at her hut. The maid instead, unknown to the knight, loved another rustic youth, who too used to frequent her abode. One day, when she was in the knight's arms, she saw from her window her second lover advancing. She signalled to him to await her there only. But the knight saw all in a mirror on the opposite wall. He did not utter a word, just released her from his arms and retired to the forest, never to return to the infidel world of man. Here too the king holds a beast close too his bosom, but the beast is dragged in love to another beast instead.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.