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The old man eats of the fruit of the Tree of Life, but drops dead, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The enthroned king stares in amazement at the body of the old man. The parrot, who brought the king the fruit, sits in a cage at the center of the room. Believing the parrot to be a traitor, the king orders his execution. However, unbeknownst to the king, the fruit was actually poisoned by the bite of a venomous snake.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe old man eats of the fruit of the Tree of Life, but drops dead, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night, c. 1560. Lalu (Indian, active mid-1500s). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; painting only: 11.4 x 10.2 cm (4 1/2 x 4 in.); overall: 20.1 x 14.3 cm (7 15/16 x 5 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.78.a
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