Christ
Drawing
c.1600 (made)
c.1600 (made)
| Place of origin |
This painting is done in a style derived from Iranian painting and known as ‘nim qalam’ , where tones of brown and ochre predominate but particular areas are given stronger colours. The composition is copied from a European original, The Nativity of Christ by the Flemish painter Martin de Vos, which was engraved by the Netherlandish artist Hieronymus Wierix for Geronimo Nadal’s book Evangelicae historicae imagines, published in Antwerp in 1593. The book was widely used by the Jesuits on their missions to the East, and was known to have been taken to the Mughal court in the late 16th century.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Christ (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted and drawn in ink, watercolour and gold on paper |
| Brief description | Tinted drawing, Christ adored by angels, after Marten de Vos, ink, watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, c. 1600 |
| Physical description | Tinted drawing, in ink, watercolour and gold on paper, the infant Jesus lies naked on a bed of straw surrounded by angels, Mary and Joseph and two cows inside a structure made of a roof supported by two tree trunks. Above, angels hover in the sky indicated by blue clouds. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | The infant Jesus lies naked on a bed of straw surrounded by angels, Mary and Joseph and two cows inside a structure made of a roof supported by two tree trunks. Above, angels hover in the sky indicated by blue clouds. |
| Style | |
| Object history | Transferred from the Department of Engraving, Illustration & Design. RP 51/2237 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This painting is done in a style derived from Iranian painting and known as ‘nim qalam’ , where tones of brown and ochre predominate but particular areas are given stronger colours. The composition is copied from a European original, The Nativity of Christ by the Flemish painter Martin de Vos, which was engraved by the Netherlandish artist Hieronymus Wierix for Geronimo Nadal’s book Evangelicae historicae imagines, published in Antwerp in 1593. The book was widely used by the Jesuits on their missions to the East, and was known to have been taken to the Mughal court in the late 16th century. |
| Associated object | D.402:2-1885 (Verso) |
| Bibliographic reference | Susan Stronge, Painting for the Mughal Emperor. The art of the book 1560-1650, V&A Publications, 2002, fig. 78, p. 112. The European engraving on which it is based is illustrated on p. 113, pl. 79. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | D.402-1885 |
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| Record created | March 10, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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