WITH LATER ATTRIBUTION TO LA’L CHAND, MUGHAL INDIA, LAST QUARTER 17TH CENTURY, CALLIGRAPHY SIGNED HEDAYAT ALLAH ZARIN QALAM, DATED AH 1114/1702-03 AD

Prince Dara Shikoh (1615-59) was the eldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan and brother of ‘Alamgir. He was defeated and killed by his brother who rose to the throne as Emperor Aurangzeb. A number of portraits depicting him in his youth are known, including two full-length portraits from the Dara Shikoh album in the British Library: the first attributed to Chitarman, painted circa 1631-32 (Add.Or.3129, f.19v) and the second attributed to Murar, dated to the same year (f.59v., Losty and Roy, 2012, fig.78 and 80, pp.129-131). The present work shows a close likeness to the Murar portrait which depicts the prince aged 16 or 17. Our portrait is attributed to La’l Chand, an artist whose works are found in the Dara Shikoh album – he is known to have executed a portrait of Dara’s sister, Jahanara. He was a court artist of Shah Jahan, within whose reign most of his work falls.

Another Mughal calligraphic panel signed Hidayatullah, probably the same as the present scribe, dated 1691-92, was on the reverse of a Mughal drawing which sold at Christie’s, London, 23 October 2007, lot 342.