Elephants Fighting

Johan Zoffany made this striking drawing, which was rediscovered in 2013, during his extended stay in India between 1783 and 1788. Only a small number of the numerous drawings he made in India are known to survive, including two fine examples already in the Center’s collection. The drawing depicts a combat between two elephants and was probably made in Lucknow, a city Zoffany found particularly congenial, and which he visited three times. At the court of Asaf-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh, such lavish spectacles, which were a source of both fascination and repugnance for European visitors, were a frequent occurrence and were typically organized for ceremonial and diplomatic purposes.

Gallery label for A Decade of Gifts and Acquisitions (Yale Center for British Art, 2017-06-01 - 2017-08-13)

Credit Line: Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund