Artwork
Akbar
Akbar is a paint painting by the Mughal Painting artist Miskina. It dates from 1592 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
If you like this, look up the Victoria and Albert Museum’s other Akbarnama pages.
A man in red robes rides a white horse through a green field. Behind him, hunters drive deer and antelope toward a wide circle. Bows and arrows fill the air as animals scatter under a clear sky.
This scene comes from the Akbarnama, a book about Emperor Akbar’s life. The artist Miskina painted it around 1590–95. Notice how the horses and riders crowd the edges, pushing the action inward.
If you like this, look up the Victoria and Albert Museum’s other Akbarnama pages.
Overview
This painting is a left-hand page from a double-page composition in the Akbarnama, a historical manuscript about Emperor Akbar's life. It depicts a qamargah, a type of hunt where game is driven into a large circular area.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows Akbar on horseback amidst a hunt, with various animals such as blackbucks, nilgai, and jackals being driven towards the center. The painting highlights the fauna of the Lahore region during Akbar's time, featuring species like the Pir Panjal markhor and Punjab urial.
Technique & Style
The artwork showcases early work by the artist Mansur, who later became a prominent Mughal artist. The composition is characterized by a crowded arrangement of horses and riders at the edges, pushing the action inward, and a detailed representation of the hunt and its prey.
History & Provenance
The painting was created around 1590-95, attributed to the artist Miskina. It is part of the Akbarnama, a historical manuscript held by the Victoria and Albert Museum, which has other related pages.
Artist & collection
Artist
Miskin (c. 1560 - c. 1604), also known as Miskina, was a Mughal painter in the court of Akbar I. The name 'Miskin' itself is a pen name. Miskin is recorded by the historian and grand vizier of Akbar, Abu'l-Fazl, in a…
