
This illustration from the Akbarnama depicts the celebrations at the royal city of Fathpur ('City of Victory', and later known as Fatehpur Sikri) after the birth of Akbar's second son, Murad, in 1570. The red inscription beneath the painting notes that the design of the composition and the application of paint were both done by the Mughal court artist Bhura, with portraits by the more renowned artist Basawan.
The Akbarnama was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by his court historian and biographer Abu'l Fazl between 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between about 1592 and 1594 by at least 49 different artists from Akbar's studio. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) and later Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it in 1896 from Mrs Frances Clarke, the widow of Major-General John Clarke, who bought it in India while serving as Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862.
Victoria and Albert Museum
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