Elephant and Rider 1615 - 1665

Hashim created this delicate work, *Elephant and Rider*, sometime between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Hashim was an Indian painter active in the Mughal court, where artistic traditions often reflected the opulence and hierarchical nature of the empire. In Mughal India, elephants were symbols of power and royalty, often used in ceremonies and warfare. In this painting, the detailed rendering of the elephant with its decorative trappings, contrasts with the faded and ghostlike image of the rider. It makes me think about the weight of responsibility and the fleeting nature of power. What does it mean to depict a royal animal in such detail, while the human figure fades into the background? It perhaps suggests a meditation on the transient nature of human authority compared to the enduring presence and symbolic weight of the elephant. It’s a poignant reflection on power, presence, and the passage of time.