Akbar supervising the capture of wild elephants at Malwa in 1564, painting 90 from an Akbar-nama (Book of Akbar) of Abu’l Fazl (Indian 1551–1602)c. 1602–3; borders added c. 1700s · Study 2013.309

Context from the museum

This painting is from a biography of Akbar made shortly before his death. It depicts a historical event from early in his reign when he encountered a herd of wild elephants and captured many of them for his royal stables. Akbar rides horseback in the upper left, directing his men as two trained elephants give chase in the foreground. The Mughals caught wild elephants by chasing them with tame elephants, then tethering them together and feeding them their favorite food. European prints had made their way into Akbar’s collection, and they provided the visual source for distant cityscapes, rolling hills, and less densely colored paintings.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

A yak-tail flywhisk, ancient Indian symbol of sovereignty, is held up for Akbar.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Akbar supervising the capture of wild elephants at Malwa in 1564, painting 90 from an Akbar-nama (Book of Akbar) of Abu’l Fazl (Indian 1551–1602) is 14.6 cm wide and 20 cm high, equivalent to approximately 5.7 × 7.9 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.73:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.03 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 4.9% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 142.7 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Akbar supervising the capture of wild elephants at Malwa in 1564, painting 90 from an Akbar-nama (Book of Akbar) of Abu’l Fazl (Indian 1551–1602) in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, ink with use of colors and gold on paper, mounted on an album page with borders of gold-decorated buff and blue paper (recto); calligraphy by Faqir Ali (verso), in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 14.6 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?