"Temple with Tiger" Mughal Painting

Artistic expression was strongly encouraged during India’s Mughal period, resulting in a rich tradition of painting that includes exquisitely detailed and masterfully painted miniatures. Typically extolling the virtues of courtly life, miniatures were also adapted to religious subject matter, as evident in this striking painting of a richly ornamented temple set amidst a lush, mountainous setting. Attended to by two devotees, the central figure is the sword-wielding goddess Durga, supreme deity of the feminine, known for her power to create and destroy. A tiger reclines outside the temple, the animal that serves as her mount and is equally revered for its spiritual power to defeat evil.