Lady with a portrait of Jahangir

Historical period(s)
Mughal dynasty, ca. 1600
Movement
Mughal Court
School
Mughal School
Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 18.4 x 13.7 cm (7 1/4 x 5 3/8 in)
Geography
India
Credit Line
Long-term loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.354
Collection
Long-term loan
Accession Number
LTS1985.1.354
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Album, Painting
Type

Album leaf with painting

Keywords
emperor, Gellatly collection, India, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), portrait, woman
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

Women of the court, who spent most of their time within the confines of the harem, were not frequent subjects of the Mughal portraits.  Although the young woman shown here is not identified and her likeness is rather generic, the portrait of Jahangir in her hands denotes her high social status.

Published References
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court., 2nd ed. Washington and Ahmedabad, India, 2012. cat. 30, p. 157.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Whistler's Neighborhood
Google Cultural Institute
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