Object Details
- Artist
- Possibly by Muhammad Sharif
- Court
- Mughal Court
- School/Tradition
- Mughal school
- Label
- Between 1600 and 1604, theMughal prince Salim (the future emperor Jahangir) established a court at Allahabad in defiance of his father, the emperor Akbar (reigned 1556–1604). Along with plotting against his father, Salim spent his time in Allahabad commissioning paintings and hunting. In this work, the prince, who can be identified by his jutting jaw and drooping mustache, rides a white steed. Intriguingly, in spite of Salim’s conflict with his father, the painter endowed the rider on the brown horse with Akbar’s profile and gave him the honor of the kill.
- Provenance
- At least 1945-1946
- Virginia B. Shapley (Mrs. W. H. Shapley) (1911-2003), method of acquisition unknown [1]
- From 1946
- Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Virginia B. Shapley [2]
- Notes:
- [1] See untitled incoming receipt, dated December 27, 1945, copy in object file. The object was transferred from Virginia B. Shapley to the Freer Gallery of Art for acquisition consideration on December 27, 1945. Object is described as, “Indian miniature painting, 17th century, in frame.”
- Virginia B. Shapley (née Bishop) (1911-2003) was a scientific researcher and editor for the National Science Foundation located in Washington, DC. Her husband, Willis Harlow Shapley (1917-2005), was a specialist in federal research funding and served as the third-ranking administrator during NASA’s Apollo program. The couple resided in Washington, DC with their three children.
- [2] See object file for copy of “Mrs. W. H. Shapley" invoice, issued by Virginia B. Shapley, to the Freer Gallery of Art, dated June 26, 1946, and marked approved on July 11, 1946.
- Research updated February 2, 2024
- Collection
- Freer Gallery of Art Collection
- Exhibition History
- 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)
- The Imperial Image: Painting for the Mughal Court (September 25, 1981 to 30 March 1982)
- Indian Art (January 1, 1963 to January 28, 1981)
- Previous custodian or owner
- Virginia B. Shapley (1911-2003)
- Credit Line
- Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
- ca. 1600
- Period
- Mughal dynasty, Reign of Jahangir
- Accession Number
- F1946.17
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 18.6 x 10.6 cm (7 5/16 x 4 3/16 in)
- Origin
- Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh state, India
- Related Online Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- See more items in
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
- Topic
- lion
- hunting
- poetry
- Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858)
- Reign of Jahangir (1605 - 1627)
- nasta'liq script
- India
- South Asian and Himalayan Art
- father
- Record ID
- fsg_F1946.17
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3c8ff86be-6133-421a-ad84-762853b3bbd7
