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Posthumous portrait of Emperor Jahangir under a canopy (recto); Calligraphy (verso)

c. 1650

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

Jahangir, the fourth Mughal emperor, was remembered for his greatness long after his death. Ruling from 1605 to 1627, he laid the foundations for long-term trade and diplomatic relations with various nations of Europe, most notably England and Portugal. He oversaw the transition of Mughal India into a global power during a time that can be considered the international Age of Exploration. This posthumous portrait depicts Jahangir amid the trappings of wealth and power with the light of divine sanction shining behind his head. A white marble railing demarcates his imperial space.

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Details

  • Title: Posthumous portrait of Emperor Jahangir under a canopy (recto); Calligraphy (verso)
  • Date Created: c. 1650
  • Physical Dimensions: Page: 35.2 x 22.1 cm (13 7/8 x 8 11/16 in.)
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2013.329
  • Medium: opaque watercolor and gold on paper, borders with floral motifs in colors and gold (recto); black ink on marbled paper, a Persian quatrain in calligraphy (verso)
  • Inscriptions: recto: Persian inscription above, in inner border, in nasta‘liq script: Great King Jahangir, verso: Persian verse in nasta‘liq script: The Feast is approaching, and I am dying for/ Your coquetry to make a sacrifice of me./ Do not hold back from killing me:/ For that very wish I have given up my soul.
  • Fun Fact: Jahangir holds a ruby or spinel, thought to be a talisman for military victory.
  • Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
  • Culture: India, Mughal, 17th century
  • Credit Line: Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection
  • Collection: Indian Art - Mughal
  • Accession Number: 2013.329

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