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Lot Essay
The subject of this painting is Prince Mirza Babur (1796 – 13 February 1835), son of Mughal emperor Akbar II. Portraits of Prince Mirza in adulthood are very rare, perhaps because he died at a relatively early age. The more common depictions of him are as a child where he appears in several large Durbar scenes with his father, Akbar II, and his three brothers.
There are three Durbar scenes where Prince Mirza can be identified. The first is in the Cincinnati Art Museum (acc.no.1962.458) where he is on the far right of the four sons, dated 1811-1815. There is another in the British Library (acc.no.Add.Or.342), dated circa 1815. The latest Durbar scene is dated circa 1820, meaning that Prince Mirza was twenty-four when the painting was completed, this is in the British Library (acc.no.Add.Or.3079).
Our painting, however, is perhaps unique for its depiction of the adult Prince Mirza as the main subject, without his family, and presents us with a rare insight into him as a character. It is immediately striking that the Prince has chosen to be painted wearing a typically European style coat. Further corroborating this, a Major Archer, an eye-witness who was serving as aid-de-camp to Lord Combermere (1773-1865), recorded that “[the Prince] wears an European-cut coat, with stars on both breasts,: top boots and a thick walking stick” (Archer 1833, p.383). The description of the Prince that Archer offers tallies closely with that in the painting.
Indeed, it seems that the Prince adopted more Western habits than the rest of his brothers. Spear writes that he “affected European manners [and] built a European-style house whose Corinthian columns and stucco walls horrified admirers of Shah Jahan’s architecture” (Spear 1951). These very same Corinthian columns and capitals can be seen in our painting providing us with a setting for the painting. Given the disdain with which the rest of his family seemed to regard the Greek architecture, we can be confident that the subject is situated in his house in this portrait. Further European details are scattered throughout the painting, the furniture, for example, has notable Western influence. Even the style of receding the landscape in the background is reflective of Western watercolour technique.
We are offered a further glimpse into Prince Mirza’s character through another known painting which relates to him. A folio from the Fraser Album of The Bullock-Drawn Carriage of Prince Mirza Babur is currently in the Islamic Arts Museum, Malaysia (acc.no.MY140). While this painting shows the carriage being led by two bullocks, Archer reports that the young Prince could often be seen in a “coach-and-six” and that this very “carriage, horses, and all, are often seen in a ditch” (Archer 1833, p.383). Clearly, the Prince had a propensity for riding in a carriage, albeit somewhat recklessly. This further illustrates his character as someone who enjoyed using his wealth to engage in more European-style behaviours.
The Indian nature of the portrait should not be disregarded. The fine details in the flowered carpet and rug coupled with the intricacy of the Prince’s clothes and jewels are clearly the work of a skilled painter. The inclusion of the Prince’s dog is another detail which provides us with an insight into his character, perhaps suggesting an affection for this pet. This is again a European import, dogs in Islam were traditionally considered unclean and not to be treated as pets. This particular dog seems of a similar breed to a later company school painting in The Cleveland Museum of Art (acc.no.2005.74). The huqqa places a traditional Indian pastime at the forefront of the painting and, despite his affection for Europeanisms, his status as a prince of a Mughal emperor should not be forgotten. The painting is full of opulence, the Prince wears his jewel encrusted crown, surrounded by gold inlaid objects and furniture. The wealth of the Mughal Prince is not to be understated.
There are three Durbar scenes where Prince Mirza can be identified. The first is in the Cincinnati Art Museum (acc.no.1962.458) where he is on the far right of the four sons, dated 1811-1815. There is another in the British Library (acc.no.Add.Or.342), dated circa 1815. The latest Durbar scene is dated circa 1820, meaning that Prince Mirza was twenty-four when the painting was completed, this is in the British Library (acc.no.Add.Or.3079).
Our painting, however, is perhaps unique for its depiction of the adult Prince Mirza as the main subject, without his family, and presents us with a rare insight into him as a character. It is immediately striking that the Prince has chosen to be painted wearing a typically European style coat. Further corroborating this, a Major Archer, an eye-witness who was serving as aid-de-camp to Lord Combermere (1773-1865), recorded that “[the Prince] wears an European-cut coat, with stars on both breasts,: top boots and a thick walking stick” (Archer 1833, p.383). The description of the Prince that Archer offers tallies closely with that in the painting.
Indeed, it seems that the Prince adopted more Western habits than the rest of his brothers. Spear writes that he “affected European manners [and] built a European-style house whose Corinthian columns and stucco walls horrified admirers of Shah Jahan’s architecture” (Spear 1951). These very same Corinthian columns and capitals can be seen in our painting providing us with a setting for the painting. Given the disdain with which the rest of his family seemed to regard the Greek architecture, we can be confident that the subject is situated in his house in this portrait. Further European details are scattered throughout the painting, the furniture, for example, has notable Western influence. Even the style of receding the landscape in the background is reflective of Western watercolour technique.
We are offered a further glimpse into Prince Mirza’s character through another known painting which relates to him. A folio from the Fraser Album of The Bullock-Drawn Carriage of Prince Mirza Babur is currently in the Islamic Arts Museum, Malaysia (acc.no.MY140). While this painting shows the carriage being led by two bullocks, Archer reports that the young Prince could often be seen in a “coach-and-six” and that this very “carriage, horses, and all, are often seen in a ditch” (Archer 1833, p.383). Clearly, the Prince had a propensity for riding in a carriage, albeit somewhat recklessly. This further illustrates his character as someone who enjoyed using his wealth to engage in more European-style behaviours.
The Indian nature of the portrait should not be disregarded. The fine details in the flowered carpet and rug coupled with the intricacy of the Prince’s clothes and jewels are clearly the work of a skilled painter. The inclusion of the Prince’s dog is another detail which provides us with an insight into his character, perhaps suggesting an affection for this pet. This is again a European import, dogs in Islam were traditionally considered unclean and not to be treated as pets. This particular dog seems of a similar breed to a later company school painting in The Cleveland Museum of Art (acc.no.2005.74). The huqqa places a traditional Indian pastime at the forefront of the painting and, despite his affection for Europeanisms, his status as a prince of a Mughal emperor should not be forgotten. The painting is full of opulence, the Prince wears his jewel encrusted crown, surrounded by gold inlaid objects and furniture. The wealth of the Mughal Prince is not to be understated.