A Beautiful Mughal Painting With a Dark Side

The virtues of nature over mankind

Squirrels in a Plane Tree (1605–08) by Abu’l Hasan Nadir al-Zaman (attributed). Gouache with gold. 36.2 × 22.5 cm (page 47.0 x 32.2 cm). India Office Library and Records, British Library, London, UK. Image source Wikimedia Commons

Sometimes a painting comes along that shifts the way you look at the world. It happened to me recently with this image, Squirrels in a plane tree, with its elaborate layering of tree leaves painted in the russet shades of autumn.

Since these same glowing colours are reflected in the current season where I live, it feels like there are echoes of this painting everywhere I look. Except that, in this image, the subtle array of colour tones creates a new touch of perfection.

Detail of ‘Squirrels in a Plane Tree’ (1605–08) by Abu’l Hasan Nadir al-Zaman (attributed). Gouache with gold. 36.2 x 22.5 cm (page 47.0 × 32.2 cm). India Office Library and Records, British Library, London, UK. Image source Wikimedia Commons

Harmony Under Threat

The image is an invocation of the flurry of autumn’s transition. More than a dozen squirrels chase around the branches of a plane tree — otherwise known as a chinar or sycamore.

The landscape around the tree is rocky and mountainous, where wild animals and birds graze. Four wild goats occupy a glade whilst numerous species of birds swoop, perch and feed around the grass and the extended branches of the tree.

The pastel green of the grasses and the soft-hued purples of the rocks suggest a harmonious setting. Yet…