Bust portrait of an idealized youth, c. 1735-1740
Hunhar IIexpand_more
Opaque pigments and gold laid down on cardexpand_more
The John R. Van Derlip Trust Fund and the Katherine Kittredge McMillan Memorial Fundexpand_more 2021.93.2
On View in Gallery 211expand_more
The boy depicted in this classic “window” portrait format appears to be Hindu, indicated by his dress being gently clasped to the left side—as opposed to right side, the way Muslims wore it— as well as with the poetic inscription below: “From this Hindu boy it became clear to me That there is fire in this Indian soil.” The artist, Hunhar II, uses a bold color palette to portray a renewed artistic interest in diverse faiths, likely a consequence of the Mughal Emperor Muhamad Shah II (r.1719-1748) abolishing the jizya, a poll-tax levied on non-Muslims which had to be reinstated under Auranzgeb (r. 1658-1707), and under whose reign the Mughal workshops were disbanded for nearly thirty years.
Details
- Title
- Bust portrait of an idealized youth
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2021.93.2
- Curator Approved
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