Painting of Durbar Procession of Mughal Emperor Akbar II (reigned 1806-1837), with British Resident Charles Metcalfe (1785-1846)

This large and impressive painting shows a long procession with many figures on elephants, horses and camels, in carriages and palanquins, and on foot. The procession takes place in the open plain near Delhi with architectural structures in the background such as mansions, a mosque, and the walls of the Red fort. Several nobles riding on elephants can be identified by an umbrella or morchal (peacock feather whisk) above their heads. The Mugal Emperor Akbar II (r. 1806-1837) is seated on the most decorated elephant in the right third of the painting; the elphant's face is painted with green and red colours and the white-bearded ruler is seated with two attendants, one of whom holds a white morchal. In the line of elephants behind him are his four sons with his eldest and heir, Mirza Abu Zafar Siraj al Din Muhammad (later the emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II) with a morchal above his head. In the last line of elephants to the far right there are a few European figures identified by their hats. The one in front wearing a bicorne may be the British Resident Charles Metcalfe (1785-1846) and the others in top hats may be European officers. In the middle foreground there are two cannons being pulled by horses and a European-style carriage with a uniformed driver in a top hat. The only women depicted in this painting seem to be a European female who rides with the officers and an Indian female who rides in a covered howdah by the Emperor's sons. Several howdahs are empty. A similar procession painting but of Emperor Bahadur Shah with British Resident Thomas Metcalfe, dated 1843, is in the British Library (Add.Or.5475). On that work, an inscription indicates that the procession is a celebration of the festival of Eid.

This painting was gifted to Victor Law (1842-1910) by the Princely State of Ulwar (Alwar), where he served as Political Agent from 1877 to 1884. Subsequently, he served as Agent at Oude (Awadh) 1884-1896? and at Jaipur 1896-1898 after which he retired as a Major-General. He left his estate to his brother, and the painting was passed through his brother's family who had settled in Canada and bequeathed to the ROM.