Closing the year and this year-long journey with a painting of the goddess of knowledge and music, Saraswati. This Deccani painting was commissioned by the aesthete emperor, Ibrahim Adil Shah II, and painted by his master artist Farrukh Husain, around 1604.

The painting is rich and exquisite: the goddess herself sits on a golden throne, with her veena, dressed in white. Her face is round, moon-like, and she is covered in fabulous jewellery. Her ride, the peacock is at her feet, in a garden, and she is waited upon by angels. The wings on the angels point to another picture, that of Ibrahim Adil Shah II on an elephant. The ruler, in an inscription, says his father is Ganesh and his mother is Saraswati, and so includes himself in her realm.

In 2023, I hope there will be opportunities to hold paintings like this in my hand, study them carefully, and write about them. Happy New Year!