Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a paint painting by the Mughal Painting artist Banwari the Younger. It dates from 1598 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This painting is an illustration from a 16th-century manuscript of the Razmnama, a Persian translation of the Mahabharata.
About this work
The scene comes from the Razmnama, a Persian translation of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata.
This page shows Vyasa, a wise old man in a hermitage, with three students beside him. One student, Shuka, floats toward them like a bright fireball. The scene comes from the Razmnama, a Persian translation of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata.
The artist, Banwari the Younger, painted this in 1598 at the Mughal court. Shuka’s glowing form stands out against the quiet background of trees and a simple hut.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more paintings like this.
Overview
This painting is an illustration from a 16th-century manuscript of the Razmnama, a Persian translation of the Mahabharata. Created in 1598 at the Mughal court, it depicts a scene from the ancient Indian epic.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows the sage Vyasa and his disciples in a hermitage, as Vyasa's son Shuka approaches them, floating through the air as a fiery apparition. This moment is drawn from the narrative of the Mahabharata.
Technique & Style
The artist, Banwari the Younger, rendered Shuka's glowing form against a serene backdrop of trees and a simple hut, creating a striking visual contrast. The painting exemplifies the illustrative style characteristic of Mughal court art.
History & Provenance
The painting was acquired by the museum in 1955, purchased from the executors of J. C. French with the assistance of the National Art Collections Fund.
Artist & collection
Artist
Banwari the Younger’s tiny paintings pack big surprises. This 16th-century artist hid little villages inside golden borders, each house a dot, every street a line. He loved blue: not flat blue, but layered, like the sky…
Krishna playing his flute
Asavari ragini
Rama, Sita and Lakshmana
Sadhus Gathered Around a Fire
Devagandhari Ragini
The origin of music from a fabulous bird of India which had seven holes in its beak, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fourteenth Night
Untitled
Khojasta talking to the parrot
The young prince is crowned and the wicked handmaiden is executed, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
