Shah Jahan
19th century
Description
In this small painting, Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor (r 1628-58) stands in perfect profile facing left against minimal indications for land and sky. This painting captures the emperor in the later years of his life when his beard had whitened. The purpose of this formal portrait is to express the power and rank of the ruler. His brilliantly colored turban is adorned with pearls and the black aigrette reserved for the emperor. The nimbus encircling his head and shoulders spreads his radiance in all directions. His uplifted hand sports an archer's ring to suggest his skills as both hunter and warrior. To further indicate his prowess, a push dagger is tucked in his jeweled waistband, and a sword rests in its golden sheath on his shoulder. The emperor's sumptuous garments include trousers in a rare purple hue, a floral patterned diaphanous "jama", and a cloth-of-gold sash, also patterned with floral motifs.
Dimensions
image: 23.5 x 12.9 cm (9 1/4 x 5 1/16 in.) with border: 24.5 x 14 cm (9 5/8 x 5 1/2 in.) with mounting: 31.6 x 21 cm (12 7/16 x 8 1/4 in.)
Provenance
[Michael Spink, London, early 1980s], sold; to Benjamin Zucker, New York (by 1985), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2010. Note: According to Benjamin Zucker, Michael Spink claimed to have acquired the painting in London.
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