Cleveland Museum of Art
A pair of Brahminy ducks
- Date
- c. 1595; borders added probably 1800s
- Medium
- Gum tempera on paper, mounted with later pink and blue borders
- Culture
- India, Mughal, 16th century
- Department
- Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
The Brahminy duck, also known as the ruddy shelduck, can be found throughout Southern Europe, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. This painting accurately depicts the orange coloring of Brahminy ducks and the patches of white on their wings. They are also recognizable by their long legs and short bills. The level of detail in realistic paintings of animals like this one suggests that Mughal artists studied live subjects, such as the waterfowl that lived in Mughal palace gardens. Delicate dots articulate the texture of webbed feet and toothy row in the beak.
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