Detail: Inspired by this inherent reverence for the elephant, an appreciation rooted in India’s rich literary traditions and folklore, artists at the courts of Muslim and Hindu rulers produced splendid paintings and studies of elephants, many of which were admired in albums, and others conceived as independent compositions or as designs for transfer to other media. With the exception of a portrait of an African elephant, this selection of works from the Edwin Binney 3rd Collection features paintings and drawings of Asian elephants completed in India between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Representing a range of regional styles, skill, and subject matter, they share a cultural affinity and empathy for the massive yet graceful, powerful but noble elephant.