Shah Alam II
Painting
ca. 1770 (made)
ca. 1770 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This painting portrays the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II (r.1759-1806) and princes in darbar. The strict hierarchy of the Mughal court is represented by the placement of the figures in relation to the ruler. Shah Alam is seated on a golden throne, with a small parasol above and a nimbus, or halo, encircling his head. These are all symbols of his royal status. The ruler's ministers and courtiers surround him and three princes face the throne to the right. Visitors to the court are depicted on the lower level, outside the pavilion, indicating their secondary status. The architecture is richly decorated with marble inlay and intricate carpets cover the floor.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Shah Alam II (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, Shah Alam II and princes, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1770 |
| Physical description | Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, depicting Shah Alam II and princes, holding a darbar (court) at Delhi around 1770. He is seated on a golden throne and facing to the right within a pillared diwan. Before him stands a green-clad minister, and around him and in the foreground are groups of courtiers. Above and below the painting are four lines of verse. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Content description | Shah Alam II and princes, holding a durbar (court) at Delhi around 1770. He is seated on a golden throne and facing to the right witnin a pillared diwan. Before him stands a green-clad minister, and around him and in the foreground are groups of courtiers. Above and below the painting are four lines of verse. |
| Style | |
| Credit line | Purchased from Arhur Churchill, Esq., 10 Dover Street, W |
| Object history | IM.78-1922 to IM.119-1922 bought from the London dealer Arthur Churchill in 1922 for £126. Purchased from Arhur Churchill, Esq., 10 Dover Street, W. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. R.P. 1922- 4614 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This painting portrays the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II (r.1759-1806) and princes in darbar. The strict hierarchy of the Mughal court is represented by the placement of the figures in relation to the ruler. Shah Alam is seated on a golden throne, with a small parasol above and a nimbus, or halo, encircling his head. These are all symbols of his royal status. The ruler's ministers and courtiers surround him and three princes face the throne to the right. Visitors to the court are depicted on the lower level, outside the pavilion, indicating their secondary status. The architecture is richly decorated with marble inlay and intricate carpets cover the floor. |
| Bibliographic reference | Jackson, Anna and Ji Wei (eds.) with Rosemary Crill, Ainsley M. Cameron and Nicholas Barnard, compiled by the Palace Museum, translated by Yuan Hong, Qi Yue and Liu Ran. The Splendour of India' Royal Courts : Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Beijing: the Forbidden City Publishing House, 2013. Text in English and Chinese. ISBN 9787513403917.
pps. 30 and 31 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.81-1922 |
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 | April 30, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
