MUGHAL INDIA, 18TH CENTURY

Details

A PORTRAIT OF THE EMPEROR AURANGZEB (R.1658-1707)
MUGHAL INDIA, 18TH CENTURY
Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, set into a later album page with a blue border decorated with gold leafy meander and gold, red and green rules, the margins decorated with gold floral sprays and insects, the reverse plain
Painting 8 x 3 7/8in. (20.3 x 9.7cm.); folio 16 3/4 x 10in. (42.5 x 25.3cm.)

Special notice

This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

In the arrangement of his attire, the position of his hands, and the shape of his face, the present lot seems to have been heavily influenced by - or may share a source with - another painting which was sold in Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence, Christie's New York, 19 June 2019, lot 78. Some features are also found in other paintings - the red boots which he wears can also be seen on paintings of Aurangzeb in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (45.174.28) and in the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha (MIA.2014.325). Judging from Aurangzeb's grey hair, this painting depicts him in his older years when the artist could draw on a range of more youthful portraits for inspiration.

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