The Witch Anqarut ties Malik Iraj to a tree

Executed in the Mughal style, the painting features chiaroscuro, a technique using strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume and depth, characteristic of the period's artistic innovations.

Commissioned by Akbar around 1562, the Hamzanama took 15 years to complete, originally comprising 1,400 illustrations, of which fewer than 200 survive. Only fragmentary text remains, attached to the back of each surviving painting.

Part of a literary and artistic project translating oral traditions into written Persian for the imperial court, this painting reflects the Mughal era's blend of Islamic heritage and artistic experimentation.

As one of the few surviving illustrations from the Hamzanama, the painting provides valuable insight into 16th-century Mughal art and the narrative traditions of the time, despite the loss of most of the original work.