20th Century copy · Mughal

A depiction of Noah's Ark. After Miskin.1590.

USD 1,225

A 20th-century Jaipur revival painting, after Miskin-Noah’s Ark

Jaipur or Rajasthan, India, 20th century Opaque pigments and gold on paper; 46 cm by 34 cm. After a celebrated Mughal composition attributed to Miskin, c. 1590

Noah’s Ark This finely worked miniature depicts the story of Noah’s Ark, one of the great shared narratives of the Abrahamic traditions and, in the Islamic world, the story of the prophet Nūḥ. Noah appears amid a fantastical, multi-tiered vessel crowded with human figures and animals, while the surrounding sea teems with serpentine and crocodilian creatures. The densely striated water, billowing flags and animated figures create a vivid sense of danger and movement, transforming the scene into a dramatic image of catastrophe and deliverance.

The composition ultimately derives from the celebrated Mughal Noah’s Ark associated with Miskin, one of the most accomplished painters at the court of the emperor Akbar. Miskin was particularly admired for his lively treatment of animals and for his ability to animate complex narrative scenes. His version of the subject, painted around 1590, became one of the best-known maritime images of the early Mughal school.

The present work is a later Rajasthani revival interpretation of this famous composition rather than a Mughal-period painting. Its elaborate decorative treatment is especially characteristic of Jaipur miniature practice of the later twentieth century. The central scene is surrounded by a broad mauve border densely populated with oversized golden birds, flowering plants and delicate foliage, enclosed by a dark blue outer margin flecked with gold.

Although historical in inspiration, the painting possesses considerable decorative presence in its own right, combining Mughal narrative complexity with the highly finished ornamental vocabulary of the modern Jaipur miniature tradition.

Condition

Very Good to Fine.

Status

Available