Art

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/54830045

Another of the mughal court painters. During Akbar's era. Around 1600.

Beautiful colours.

Alluding to his wisdom, this white-clad Jain monk carries a manuscript under his left arm, bound with a red cover. Otherwise he carries a Jain monk’s basic accouterments: whisk broom, staff, and pot.

This sensitively painted portrait was made for the collection of the Mughal emperor Akbar who was curious about the tenets of Jainism. He admired the explanations of the Jain monks who regularly attended the emperor’s weekly discussion sessions among members of different religious groups.

Inscriptions: This inscription has been partially erased. It may have been written by the Mughal emperor Jahangir, since it appears to be in his distinctively large hand. Four Jain monks whose name end in -chandra were prominent participants in the Mughal court: Shantichandra, his disciple Bhanuchandra, Jinachandra, and Siddhichandra. This portrait probably depicts one of them. Bhanuchandra was close to Akbar's sons, Salim (who became the emperor Jahangir) and Daniyal. Siddhichandra received the Persian appellation "Jahangir Pasand" (Jahangir's Favorite).

Btw calligraphy in eastern and particularly Muslim art is just as important an artform as the painting itself.