Bowman, musician and dervish from the Kevorkian album

Historical period(s)
Mughal dynasty, Reign of Jahangir, 19th century
Movement
Mughal Court
School
Mughal School
Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 38.4 x 26.4 cm (15 1/8 x 10 3/8 in)
Geography
India
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1948.21b
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Album, Painting
Type

Album leaf with painting

Keywords
bow, dervish, flower, India, lute, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), musician, nasta'liq script, Reign of Jahangir (1605 - 1627)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

This painting, produced in the early nineteenth century at the very end of the Mughal period, reveal the manner in which artists clung tenaciously to tradition.

The floral borders added to the painting, though highly abstracted when compared with earlier workmanship, reproduce the taste of older Mughal work, and speak in general of a nostalgia for the past.  When viewing such a painting, one must remember that copying in the Persian and Mughal context was considered a tribute to as master, and "signing" a master's name to a newly created work was a token of deep respect.

Published References
  • Sotheby's (London). Catalogues of Valuable Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures, Comprising a series of very important Indian drawings by the court painters of the great Moghul emperors, Shah Jahan and Aurangzib, the property of a gentleman. London, December 12-13, 1929. cat. 118.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court. Exh. cat. Washington, 1981. p. 191, fig. 38.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. 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 Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use

Related Objects