This is a rather cheerful picture of a dervish- a Sufi- travelling with his dog, much like this one featuring a yogini. The painting appears simple- an ascetic wearing a patch-work cloak, with possessions that fit into a small bag- walking his dog in a wild landscape. The man and dog are portrayed in a conversation, the two are completely focussed on each other, and display a bond of love. The painting is playful, and beautifully drawn, from the dervish’s dreadlocks and bare legs to the dog’s perky tail!

The message here, to me, is no matter how detached you are from worldly possessions, always travel with your dog!

Made in the seventeenth century, it belongs to an album collected in the eighteenth century by Jean-Baptiste Joseph Gentil, a French colonel who had a long career in India, and collected Mughal material rather seriously.