The dethroned frog Shapur seeks the help of the serpent, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenth-sixth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: x cm (2 15/16 x 4 in.). Shapur, who had long ruled as king of the frogs, was overthrown and exiled for cruelty. Seeking revenge on his political enemies, he sought the allegiance of a frog-eating serpent. The serpent’s lair is shown in cross section amid the heavily shaded rocks. A pipal tree (ficus religiosa), native to In
The dethroned frog Shapur seeks the help of the serpent, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenth-sixth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: x cm (2 15/16 x 4 in.). Shapur, who had long ruled as king of the frogs, was overthrown and exiled for cruelty. Seeking revenge on his political enemies, he sought the allegiance of a frog-eating serpent. The serpent’s lair is shown in cross section amid the heavily shaded rocks. A pipal tree (ficus religiosa), native to India, bends over the body of the story is set in China, and the emphasis on the layers of shaded rocks may suggest the artist’s impression of a Chinese landscape. Moreover, the snake’s markings appear to be those of a Chinese Mountain pit viper.
Size: 2209px × 3400px
Photo credit: © CMA/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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