Mughal, Deccani and Company School paintings: treasures of Indian art from the 16th to the 19th century

In 1518, the Turkoman dignitary Quli Qutb Shah broke away from the Bahmani Sultanate to establish himself as ruler of Golconda in the Deccan. Within a few years, he had expanded his territory eastward to encompass much of Andhra Pradesh, and founded a dynasty that would last for 169 years. At the height of their power, the Qutb Shahs were among southern India’s wealthiest families, their riches drawn from the famous Golconda diamond mines, which produced legendary gems such as the Koh-i-Noor (now part of the British Crown Jewels) and the Hope Diamond. Known for their religious tolerance and commercial acumen, they transformed their capital, Hyderabad, into a vibrant cultural centre celebrated for its luxury and patronage of the arts.

On 28 April 2026, a portrait of one of the Qutb Shah dynasty is offered for sale in the The Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection of Indian Painting and Calligraphy at Christie’s in London. The dynasty’s support for painting and calligraphy played a pivotal role in the development of Deccani art — a school that, alongside Mughal painting, is at the heart of this carefully curated sale. ‘It really is a wonderful collection,’ says Sara Plumbly, director of the Islamic and Indian Art department at Christie’s. ‘It’s well-provenanced and built over decades through respected dealers and auction houses. With many lots offered without reserve, this collection combines scholarship and connoisseurship with real accessibility.’

Cheney Cowles was for many years director of the Crane Gallery in Seattle, which specialised in art from East Asia. In the 1980s, he and his wife Mary began buying Indian paintings from the Mughal period, to add to their considerable collection of works from Japan and China. Thirty-one of the pieces offered for sale at Christie's were featured in the exhibition Image and Word: Indian Paintings, Drawings and Calligraphy (1350-1830) at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Canada, in 1998. Plumby says the couple were guided by a philosophy that great artworks should be available to everyone: ‘They were not just objects of beauty, but resources for study and contemplation.’

Below, the specialist selects her highlights from the sale.

Abdullah Qutb Shah, circa 1660

Abdullah Qutb Shah ascended the throne at just 12 years old, under the regency of his mother, Hayat Bakhshi Begum. ‘This is such a bold image,’ says Plumbly. ‘The young ruler is depicted with a heavenly ray of sun breaking in from the upper corner, as if divinely sanctioning his kingdom.’

There is a very similar, mirrored portrait of Abdullah Qutb Shah in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. It is possible that the two once faced each other in an imperial album. For Plumbly, these images transcend portraiture. ‘They are statements of political defiance,’ she says. ‘For a young sovereign to maintain authority, he needed to project strength and independence. Portraits like this would have been sent to rulers such as Shah Jahan to assert Golconda’s imperial power.’

Layla Visits Majnun in the Desert, circa 1590

The story of the doomed lovers Layla and Majnun is a cornerstone of Persian literature. Although most closely associated with the medieval poet Nizami Ganjavi, says Plumbly, ‘It has been told and retold since the 7th century.’

This scene depicts the moment when Layla meets Majnun in the wilderness. Driven into exile by love, Majnun appears gaunt and ghost-like, while Layla is radiant. ‘The contrast between them is striking,’ says the specialist. ‘Layla is vivid and composed; Majnun seems to dissolve into the landscape, surrounded by animals, suggesting he has become part of the natural world.’

William Fraser’s Dinner Party, Delhi, India, circa 1830

‘This is such a fun image — so theatrical,’ says the specialist. William Fraser, a 19th-century British civil servant, is depicted as an imposing figure, much larger than the other guests. He is seated on a chair which, though European in design, is gilded like the throne of a maharajah.

Fraser commissioned Mughal artists to produce works documenting everyday life in India (indeed one of these is included in the sale), resulting in what became known as Company School paintings — a hybrid style blending European and Indian aesthetics. In this lively dinner party scene, despite the European tableware and dress, numerous classically Indian painting conventions, such as the relative scale of people according to their perceived importance, offer a vivid snapshot of the colonial era’s hybrid world.

A Mughal ’unwan, circa 1630-40

‘This beautiful ’unwan (or illuminated bifolio) speaks directly to the interest of Mary and Cheney Cowles in the written word,’ says Plumbly. Probably once part of an imperial album of the type made for the Emperor Shah Jahan, the folio exemplifies the Mughal tradition of combining painting and calligraphy within richly decorated borders.

‘The delicate floral sprays, which are found in the gold ground around the calligraphy, reflect the Mughal fascination with the natural world,’ says Plumbly.

The Virgin Mary Standing in Prayer, 1600

‘This work really speaks to a moment of cross-cultural exchange in the 16th and 17th centuries,’ says Plumbly. Through contact with Portuguese traders in Goa, Mughal artists were exposed to European prints and Christian imagery, and began incorporating these motifs into their own work.

‘What’s fascinating here is that, although this image is remarkably faithful to its European source — for instance in the very strong blue associated with the Virgin Mary — you still see distinctly Mughal elements, like the architectural setting and certain stylistic details,’ says the specialist. ‘It is a beautiful example of how artists were adapting and reinterpreting European models within an Indian context, creating something that feels both familiar and entirely its own.’

The Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection of Indian Painting and Calligraphy is on view alongside Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Rugs and Carpets, from 24 April 2026 at Christie’s in London