The artist has skilfully discovered his forms by using the technique of increasing the depth of color pigments. The animals' pale yellow, when used in a deeper tint, becomes the king's body color. With further depths added, it defines the lower and upper costumes and finally his beard. The sky is made up of yellow, magenta, black and blue strips, which, when blended together, create the backdrop.
The painting has reflections of an Arabian folk tale: A knight truly and madly in love with a desert maid, spent each of his evenings at her hut. The maid instead, unknown to the knight, loved another rustic youth, who too used to frequent her abode. One day, when she was in the knight's arms, she saw from her window her second lover advancing. She signalled to him to await her there only. But the knight saw all in a mirror on the opposite wall. He did not utter a word, just released her from his arms and retired to the forest, never to return to the infidel world of man. Here too the king holds a beast close too his bosom, but the beast is dragged in love to another beast instead.
This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.
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