Emperor Aurangzeb in a Shaft of Light with later floral border from The St. Petersburg Album

Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
-
Period
ca. 1660, borders mid-18th c. -
Geography
India -
Material
Opaque watercolor on paper with gold -
Dimension
H x W: 47.2 x 32.2 cm (18 9/16 x 12 11/16 in) -
Accession Number
F1996.1 -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1996.1
Object Details
-
Artist
Attributed to Hunhar -
Borders
Muhammad Baqir (mid-18th century)Muhammad-Hadi -
Calligrapher
Imad al-Hasani (died 1615) -
Court
Mughal Court -
School/Tradition
Mughal school -
Label
The garden setting may be a reference to Agharabad (later called Shalimar), an imperial garden eight miles northwest of Delhi which contained some fine imperial buildings. It was in this garden that Aurangzeb declared himself emperor and celebrated his first coronation (21 July 1658). This painting appears to depict the response of heaven to Aurangzeb's declaration. It can be seen as Aurangzeb's apotheosis, and the borrowed elements copied from a European religious print only helped the artist to heighten the otherworldly perspective.Aurangzeb's second coronation was celebrated nearly one year later (5 June 1659) after his triumph in the War of Succession was nearly complete. This second, or real, coronation was celebrated at the imperial seat of power in the Red Fort at Delhi. In contrast to the modest first event, the second coronation was the most splendid ever celebrated by a Mughal emperor. The festivities lasted for more than two months.The triumphal symbolism that marked the second imperial coronation is also reflected in the unusual iconography of the present picture. The moon and the light it casts--the only charged element in the painting--are central to its meaning in several ways. The moon isolates and aggrandizes Aurangzeb, the sole figure upon which it shines. -
Provenance
To 1739Mughal Imperial Library, India, to 1739 [1]To late 19th centuryPersian Imperial Library, to late 19th century [2]Private European collection (possibly Russian Imperial Library) [3]To 1996Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd., New York City, to 1996From 1996Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd. in 1996Notes:[1] Indian paintings in the St. Petersburg Album left India in 1739 with the loot taken to Iran by Nadir Shah, following his sack of Delhi.The pages left Tehran in the early 1900s and were dispersed into European collections, including that of Tsar Nicholas II (according to Curatorial Note 4, Milo C. Beach, February 26, 1996, in the object record). See also the object record for F1994.4, Curatorial Note 5, Milo C. Beach, March 4, 1994.[2] See note 1.[3] See note 1. -
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Beyond the Legacy--Anniversary Acquisitions of the Freer Gallery of Art (October 11, 1998 to April 11, 1999) -
Previous custodian or owner
Mughal LibraryImperial Library (Tehran)Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd. (active 1990-2013) -
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
-
Date
-
Name
-
Place
-
Topic
-
Culture
-
Language
-
Object Type