Akbar, the lion and the calf

This is a posthumous portrait of Akbar by Govardhan who stands as one of the greatest Mughal painters. The work incorporates the motif of a lion and calf living in peace under the emperor’s benign rule. Govardhan, a master of psychological portraiture, has given the calf an air of meek nervousness, as expressed in its sideways glance and lowered ears, due no doubt to the proximity of the lion’s visible teeth. Cherubs above and a European background add cosmopolitan touches brought to Mughal Courts by Jesuit and other European travellers. Govardan's painting of Akbar shows the Mughal emperors in old age, as he would have been remembered by the two major patrons of this album, his son Jahangir and his grandson Shahjahan. Govardhan who served in the imperial atelier under Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jahan, idealizes Akbar to the point of canonization, reminding us that after his death Akbar was known as 'Arsh-Ashiyani (He Who Nests in the Divine Throne). Serenely smiling, Akbar offers a rosary of jewels to the royal patron for whom he was painted, probably Shahjahan. Above hover a trio of cherubs, tootling, strumming, and bearing a European inspired crown. In the foreground the power of the pax Mughalica is symbolized by a reclining calf, undisturbed by the nearby lion eyeing it with uncharacteristic benevolence. Beyond, a landscape with Indian figures melts into the blue sky. Govardhan, a Hindu whose name is derived from the mountain miraculously elevated by the god Krishna, was one of the six foremost Mughal artists. His psychologically penetrating portraiture and swelling forms suggest that he studied with Basawan, Akbar's greatest master, upon whose painterly brushwork he modeled his own. Darting strokes build up cloud banks in a characteristic palette of subdued grays, whites, tans, and soft blues, accented, as here in Akbar's turban, by areas of chromatic richness. Fond of swirls and sparkle, he enjoyed depicting marbled paper, and he handled gold with extraordinary skill, highlighting, striating, and pricking it. Although his court portraiture is outstanding, Govardhan's most striking characterizations are intimate studies of holy men, probably painted for Prince Dara-Shikoh, the ill-fated son of Shahjahan, whose religious toleration and mystical tendencies were akin to those of his great-grandfather. When Govardhan painted this insightful portrait of Akbar, he appreciated the affinity between the two notably tolerant imperial mystics and recalled the former with the sympathy he usually accorded to saints.

Govardhan was the son of artist Bhavani Das, a minor painter in the imperial workshop. Like many Mughal painters, they were Hindus. An artist of extraordinary breadth, Govardhan contributed to the Akbarnama and Baburnama and created many outstanding depictions of the court and its activities. Almost all of his works are with British, European and American Museums and Collectors.

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