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One of six figures from the Mughal emperor's ceremonial procession on the occasion of the Id
Khan, Mazhar Ali - Enlarge image
One of six figures from the Mughal emperor's ceremonial procession on the occasion of the Id
- Object:
Painting
- Place of origin:
Delhi, India (painted)
- Date:
ca. 1840 (painted)
- Artist/Maker:
Khan, Mazhar Ali (possibly, maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Gouache on paper
- Museum number:
IS.485-1950
- Gallery location:
In Storage
This Company Painting is from a set of six depicting scenes from the Mughal emperor's ceremonial procession on the occasion of the Muslim Id festival. The painting is possibly by Mazhar Ali Khan and dates from about 1840, during the reign of the last emperor and King of Delhi, Bahadur Shah II (r.1838-1858). The picture shows an empty covered sedan or carrying-chair for the queen or ladies of the first rank; it is carried by nine men, with three other attendants, one of whom holds a large sun-shade. The Id festival is celebrated at the end of the month of Ramazan.
'Company paintings' were produced by Indian artists for Europeans living and working in the Indian subcontinent, especially British employees of the East India Company. They represent a fusion of traditional Indian artistic styles with conventions and technical features borrowed from western art. Some Company paintings were specially commissioned, while others were virtually mass-produced and could be purchased in bazaars.
