Court Lady

Object Details

• Artist

  Attributed to Bishandas (active 1590-1640)

• Court

  Mughal Court

• School/Tradition

  Mughal school

• Label

  This court lady reads a manuscript while holding a flower in her lowered hand. Since Mughal court women generally lived in seclusion (purdah), they typically appear in paintings as general types. This portrait, however, has individuated features and seems to be based on observation. The painting is attributed by style to the court artist Bishan Das (see F1997.30 for one of Bishan Das' portraits of a male subject).

• Provenance

  ?-1984

  Michael Goedhuis, Ltd. (established 1980), London, England, method of acquisition unknown [1]

  From 1984

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Michael Goedhuis, Ltd. [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See incoming receipt, dated October 29, 1984, copy in object file. The object was transferred from Michael Goedhuis, Ltd. to the Freer Gallery of Art for acquisition consideration on October 29, 1984. Object is described as, “Mughal portrait (framed).”

  Michael Goedhuis, Ltd. in London, England was established in 1980. Michael Goedhuis began his professional involvement in the art world in 1975 when he joined Jacob Rothschild’s firm Colnaghi (established 1760), specializing in Persian, Mughal and Islamic art. After establishing his own firm, Goedhuis expanded his dealing activities to include Indian, Japanese, and Chinese art. In 1981, Goedhuis purchase the name “Colnaghi Oriental” from Rothchild and utilized the name in advertisements for his firm.

  [2] See object file for copy of the Michael Goedhuis, Ltd. Invoice, issued by Michael Goedhuis, to Freer Gallery of Art, undated, and marked approved on November 14, 1984. Object is described as, “Indian painting; Mughal period; small framed portrait.”

  Research updated November 17, 2023

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Body Image (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

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

  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)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Michael Goedhuis, Ltd. (established 1980)

• Origin

  India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1610s, 1620s

• Name

  Goedhuis, Michael

• Place

  India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Reading, Art, Reign of Jahangir (1605 - 1627), Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858)

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings