Unknown Painter
From Kalila wa Dimna of 1430 in Herat
This crazy-looking fight between a lion and a bull is a one of a group of illustrations from this manuscript of Kalila wa Dimna done in Herat, probably for the Timurid prince Baysunghur.
This book of animal fables and legends takes its name from the two mischievous foxes Kalila and Dimna. Here, they watch the Lion King (!) and the great bull Shanzaba duel it out for mastery of all the animals. Probably, knowing what rogues these foxes are, they provoked the fight between the two animal titans.
The bright blue rock formations bursting out of the painting's frame give the whole a somewhat unreal aspect. These rocks are a common motif that you find throughout Persian painting, although rarely so vividly as here. The little tufts of grass and flowers carefully placed on tussocks give the painting a certain stiffness, which isn't helped by the frozen poses of the animals, particularly the bull.
The backdrop contrasts with the violent struggle to the death between the animals. I find it frames and highlights the activity in the centre, which is one reason I like it so much.
The landscape here is quite similar in style to the Mystical River scene, painted 30 years earlier on the other side of the Persian world. In both, there is a highly stylized landscape, almost formal in arrangement.
As for who wins the battle, I'm not sure, but it looks like the Lion King is getting the better of Shanzaba.