The court painter to Akbar the Great and one of the leading artists of India’s Mughal Empire, Basawan created intricate miniature paintings often representing the historic clash between Muslim and Hindu cultures. Most of Basawan’s work consists of manuscript illustration, and the artist was renowned for his ability to deftly weave multiple narratives into a single composition. He is also thought to be one of the first Indian artists influenced by Western artistic traditions, having had the opportunity to view Renaissance paintings brought before Akbar’s court by Jesuit missionaries.