The Mughal emperor Alamgir
Painting
1698-1699 (made)
1698-1699 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The portrait of the Mughal emperor 'Alamgir is dated 1110 AH/1698-99, and therefore depicts him towards the end of his life. He is dressed entirely in white with no jewellery, in keeping with the austerity that characterised his personality in later years. He sits with hunched shoulders and his hands raised as if in prayer. Two attends follow him, bearing a parasol and an aftabgir, or sunshade, both emblems of royalty. The dated Persian inscription in gold at the top of the painting gives the emperor's titles and the name of the artist, Ghulaman. The painting remained in royal ownership after Alamgir's death, as demonstrated by a seal of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah on the border dated AH 1132/1719-1720.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Mughal emperor Alamgir |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, the emperor Alamgir on a palanquin, by Ghulaman, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, dated 1110 AH/1698-1699 |
| Physical description | Painting, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, depicting emperor Aurangzeb in old age, being carried on a palenquin. The pale-faced emperor is carried by four bearers in a palanquin across a green hilly landscape. He is dressed all in white, except for a green and gold striped turban band and a gold patka. His bearers wear short red tunics. The emperor sits with hunched shoulders and his hands raised as if in prayer. His halo is a slightly darker shade of green than the background. Two attendants follow, bearing insignia of royalty in the form of a parasol and an aftabgir, or sunshade. They are also dressed in white. Walking at the emperor's side is a yellow-clad flywhisk bearer and another male, also in white. There is a Persian inscription in gold at the top of the painting giving the emperor's titles, the name of the artist and the date. |
| Content description | Emperor Aurangzeb in old age, being carried on a palenquin. The pale-faced emperor is carried by four bearers in a palanquin across a green hilly landscape. He is dressed all in white, except for a green and gold striped turban band and a gold patka. His bearers wear short red tunics. The emperor sits with hunched shoulders and his hands raised as if in prayer. His halo is a slightly darker shade of green than the background. Two attendants follow, bearing insignia of royalty in the form of a parasol and an aftabgir, or sunshade. They are also dressed in white. Walking at the emperor's side is a yellow-clad flywhisk bearer and another male, also in white. |
| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | In gold on top: shabih-e mobarak hazrat'alamgir awrangzib padshah ghazi dar senne 1110 amal kar-e gholaman (There is a partial seal stamp on the margin of the page "Muhammad Shah Padshah Ghazi, 1132 [1719-20]")
|
| Gallery label | THE EMPEROR ‘ALAMGIR IN OLD AGE
Opaque water colour and gold on paper
Mughal, by Ghulaman
1110 AH/1698-99
IM 234-1921
As Alamgir’s long reign continued, he became increasingly religious and austere. Court ceremonies also became less splendid. His long campaigns against the Deccan sultanates in the south drained the empire financially and physically damaged him. Although the empire reached its maximum extent when these sultanates were conquered, it was irreversibly weakened. The Persian inscription in gold at the top of the painting gives the emperor’s titles, the name of the artist, and the date.
(2008) |
| Credit line | Given by Sir Robert Nathan, K.C.S.I., C.I.E |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The portrait of the Mughal emperor 'Alamgir is dated 1110 AH/1698-99, and therefore depicts him towards the end of his life. He is dressed entirely in white with no jewellery, in keeping with the austerity that characterised his personality in later years. He sits with hunched shoulders and his hands raised as if in prayer. Two attends follow him, bearing a parasol and an aftabgir, or sunshade, both emblems of royalty. The dated Persian inscription in gold at the top of the painting gives the emperor's titles and the name of the artist, Ghulaman. The painting remained in royal ownership after Alamgir's death, as demonstrated by a seal of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah on the border dated AH 1132/1719-1720. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.234-1921 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | July 5, 2005 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
