Single Leaf of a Nilgai

Description Walters manuscript leaf W.865: this painting of a nilgai (also called a blue bull or Boselaphus tragocamelus), which is an antelope indigenous to Asia, is attributable to the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned AH 1037-1068/1627-1658 CE). Such animal studies were popular commissions among the Mughal emperors, who showed a marked curiosity about the natural world in their royal histories. Patronage of paintings of flora, fauna, and animals received a particular impetus under the Mughal emperor Jahangir (reigned AH 1014-1037/1605-1627 CE) and was continued under later Mughals. The detailed foliage in the foreground and the light green background are comparable to other studies of single animals dating to ca. AH 1049/1640 CE.

Conservation

Date	Description	Narrative
6/08/2017	Examination	examined for exhibition

Exhibitions

• Desire and Devotion: Art from India, Nepal, and Tibet in the John and Berthe Ford Collection. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara; Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque; Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham; Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong. 2001-2003.

Provenance John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore; given to Walters Art Museum, 2001.

Credit Gift of John and Berthe Ford, 2001