Emperor Jahangir Embraces Shah Abbas

Object Details

• Artist

  Abu'l Hasan (born 1588 or 1589)

• Borders

  Muhammad Sadiq

• Court

  Mughal Court

• School/Tradition

  Mughal school

• Label

  This brilliantly executed painting from the St. Petersburg album is one of several allegorical representations of Jahangir by Abu'l Hasan, one of the finest painters of the imperial atelier.

  The radiant and powerful Jahangir is depicted comforting his meek, submissive cousin, Shah Abbas of Iran. This has nothing to do with historical fact, however, and is pure wish-fulfillment on Jahangir's part. The rulers were intense rivals, the focus of their mutual antagonism centering on Qandahar, in Afghanistan, a territory and fortress under Mughal control. (See also F1942.16a)

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Body Image (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Fish-teeth and Friendship (December 10 to December 30, 2015)

  Worlds within Worlds: Imperial Paintings from India and Iran (July 28 to September 16, 2012)

  Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries (June 24 to September 16, 2007)

  Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas (October 16, 2004 to January 3, 2016)

  Masterworks of Indian Painting (December 13, 1997 to June 13, 1998)

  South and South East Asian Art (May 9, 1993 to February 7, 2000)

  The Arts of South Asia (May 13, 1985 to December 2, 1985)

  Indian Art (January 1, 1963 to January 28, 1981)

  Special Exhibition Afghanistan (September 3, 1963 to June 5, 1964)

  Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Art, Gallery 8 (July 15, 1958 to January 1, 1963)

  Special Exhibition, Near Eastern Art (September 15, 1953 to February 9, 1954)

• Origin

  India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1610s, 1740s

• Name

  Hasan, Abu'l, Muhammad Sadiq

• Place

  India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Cats, Art, Animals, Reign of Jahangir (1605 - 1627), Kings, queens, rulers, etc., Globe, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), Kings and rulers, Halo

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings