Indo-Persian Style Painting – Man Battles Tiger

Elegant Indo-Persian style painting.  Elegant decorative work, exact period unknown.

This vividly painted miniature shows a dramatic tiger hunt scene in the Indo-Persian style. A nobleman—possibly a Mughal or Persian prince—mounted on a richly adorned horse, is shown in mid-action as he confronts a tiger. The man raises his sword high, while the tiger lunges upward in a dynamic pose that conveys both tension and motion.  Scenes like this were popular in Indo-Persian miniature painting, where heroic hunts symbolized not just nobility and bravery, but the moral triumph of civilization over untamed nature. These themes were especially prominent under Mughal patronage, blending Persian poetic ideals with Indian landscape and fauna.

Notable stylistic elements:

• Region/Period: Likely late 18th to early 19th century, Indo-Persian or Mughal influence.

• Medium: Opaque watercolor and ink on paper.

• Details:

  • The composition uses a traditional profile format with flattened perspective.

  • Rich colors—especially gold, crimson, and emerald green—dominate the palette.

  • Landscape elements (a rocky outcrop and stylized trees) frame the action.

  • Persian calligraphy runs along the bottom in nastaʿlīq script, composed as rhyming couplets. (Transcription and translation below the image)

Transcription of the Persian Text (Note: Generated by ChatGPT)

چو شیر درنده آمد به جنگ دلیر
زد آن شاه شمشیر بر پشت شیر

نماند آن دلاور ز وحشت ز جای
زدش تیغ چون آتشی پر ز پای

English Translation (Poetic Rendering)

When the fierce tiger came to face the brave,
The king struck its back with a sword so grave.

That valiant one did not flinch nor stray,
He struck like fire with blade in full sway.