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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis painting depicts a dramatic hunting scene set against a stylized, rocky landscape. A prince on horseback is locked in a confrontation with a charging lion, his spear deep in the animal's jaws, while a foot soldier rushes forward to assist. The work uses fine ink lines and subtle washes of color, characteristic of courtly miniature painting from the early seventeenth century.
In the Mughal tradition, the lion hunt (shikar) served as an allegory for the ruler's capacity to restore cosmic order, subdue chaotic forces, and protect his subjects, reflecting the Persian concept of the 'King of Kings' as the manifestation of divine justice.
Ferdowsi's Shahnameh
The iconography of the royal hunt as a test of kingly virtue and martial prowess is a central theme in the Persian epic tradition, which heavily influenced Mughal court culture.
Object
Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
genre-scene
Digital Source
Unknown · Public domain
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 14, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.