Title Single Leaf of a Nilgai
Description
English: Walters manuscript leaf W.865, this painting of a nilgai (also called a blue bull or Boselaphus tragocamelus), which is an antelope indigenous to Asia, is attributable to the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 1037-1068 AH/AD 1627-1658). Such animal studies were popular commissions among the Mughal emperors, who showed a marked curiosity about the natural world in their royal histories. Patronage of paintings of flora, fauna, and animals received a particular impetus under the Mughal emperor Jahangir (reigned 1014-1037 AH/AD 1605-1627) and was continued under later Mughals. The detailed foliage in the foreground and the light green background are comparable to other studies of single animals dating to ca. 1049 AH/AD 1640.
Date 1031-1059 AH/AD 1625-1650 (Mughal period (1526-1858))
Medium ink and pigments on paper
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_-_Single_Leaf_of_a_Nilgai_-_Walters_W865.jpg

The nilgai or blue bull (Boselaphus tragocamelus) is the largest Asian antelope and is endemic to India, Nepal and Pakistan. The nilgai is the sole member of the genus Boselaphus and placed in the family Bovidae.