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Lot Essay
This richly detailed composition unfolds in the forecourt of the iconic Diwan-i-Khas, the Hall of Private Audience within the Red Fort. The artist invites viewers into a carefully observed architectural space rendered with meticulous precision, from the inlaid marble, gilding, and jewel-like ornamentation to the elegantly drawn guy ropes that seem almost animate, tugging at the viewer's gaze.
At its core, several principal figures gather around, preparing for a royal departure, the horses and palanquin drawing the viewer's eye. Yet attention is drawn equally to attendants and details across the scene, subtly anchoring the observer’s eye to every inch of the masterfully executed architecture and human activity. Hidden discreetly along the left edge, on a marble panel, Ghulam Ali Khan has written his signature, a testament to the artist’s carefully considered compositional balance.
Another version of the same composition, also signed by Ghulam Ali Khan, is in the British Library (Add.Or4694, see Dalrymple and Sharma 2012, cat.64,pp.154-5). It is dated 1817 and is essentially identical to ours, with minute details repeated in both versions, such as the damage to the marble panel on the sloping roof edge centre, the ropes and knots in ropes, the textiles, pietra dura designs and more. Even the green horizontal border band at the bottom of the painted area is the same in both. There are a very few subtle variations in the figures and the colours of their garments, and very small differences in one or two of the doors and the knots of the ropes, but these are noticeable only on very close observation. It is also of extremely similar size to ours. Interestingly, ours includes inscriptions on the central marble columns of the building, quoting verses of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (see above). These do not appear on the British Library version.
The 1817 version in the British Library has long been considered Ghulam Ali Khan’s earliest topographical work, and ours was likely painted around the same time - there is no evidence to suggest it is later. Sharma pointed out that a sketch of the same scene attributed to Thomas or William Daniell of 1811-13, which was based on an earlier version of 1789, probably provided the model for Ghulam Ali Khan’s 1817 version, and thus presumably for ours too. She commented that this apparent exposure of Ghulam Ali Khan and his circle to works by the Daniells is an important element in the evolution of the artistic styles of the period (Sharma 2019, pp.141-2). It is also interesting to note that the inscriptions in the lower border of the British Library version identifying the scene are written in Persian, whereas on ours it is written in English. This perhaps suggests that ours was made for a British patron.
Ghulam Ali Khan (fl. 1817–1852) was a pivotal figure in the last flowering of the Mughal painting tradition and a major progenitor of the Delhi topographical school. He served as court painter to Emperors Akbar II (r. 1806–1837) and Bahadur Shah II (r. 1837–1858), signing himself reverently as “His Majesty’s Painter” or “the hereditary slave of the dynasty.” As the Mughal court’s financial resources dwindled, Khan navigated the changing social landscape by accepting commissions from British patrons, including William and James Fraser, Colonel James Skinner, and from regional courts in Alwar and Jhajjar. Through this interplay of cultural contexts, he developed a remarkable synthesis of late Mughal aesthetics and Company style, deftly integrating architectural topography, naturalistic depth, and European-inspired perspective.
These two depictions of the Diwan-i-Khas stand as the foundation of his topographical oeuvre. From this point on, Ghulam Ali Khan became a forerunner in moving Indian painting beyond its miniature traditions into more expansive, portrait-rich architectural landscapes.
Ghulam Ali Khan’s career exemplifies the evolving role of Indian artists under European influence. In creating works for patrons such as William Fraser (notably The Fraser Album, compiled between 1815–1819, see lots 40-47) and Sir Thomas Metcalfe (The Delhi Book, commissioned in 1844), he contributed to a visual archive that blended Mughal courtly culture with European tastes for documentary realism and topographical detail.
His panoramic architectural scenes, portraits, and illustrations of courtly life became a visual testimony to a world in transition, both preserving Mughal heritage and accommodating colonial aesthetic interests.
This watercolour of the Diwan-i-Khas is not merely an architectural rendering but a narrative canvas layered with history, craftsmanship, and cultural transition. As an elegantly signed work by Ghulam Ali Khan, it stands at the crossroads of the Mughal dynasty’s twilight and the rise of Company-era patronage. It is both an exquisite architectural portrait and a work of remarkable historical resonance that continues to enhance our understanding of early 19th-century Indian art.
At its core, several principal figures gather around, preparing for a royal departure, the horses and palanquin drawing the viewer's eye. Yet attention is drawn equally to attendants and details across the scene, subtly anchoring the observer’s eye to every inch of the masterfully executed architecture and human activity. Hidden discreetly along the left edge, on a marble panel, Ghulam Ali Khan has written his signature, a testament to the artist’s carefully considered compositional balance.
Another version of the same composition, also signed by Ghulam Ali Khan, is in the British Library (Add.Or4694, see Dalrymple and Sharma 2012, cat.64,pp.154-5). It is dated 1817 and is essentially identical to ours, with minute details repeated in both versions, such as the damage to the marble panel on the sloping roof edge centre, the ropes and knots in ropes, the textiles, pietra dura designs and more. Even the green horizontal border band at the bottom of the painted area is the same in both. There are a very few subtle variations in the figures and the colours of their garments, and very small differences in one or two of the doors and the knots of the ropes, but these are noticeable only on very close observation. It is also of extremely similar size to ours. Interestingly, ours includes inscriptions on the central marble columns of the building, quoting verses of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (see above). These do not appear on the British Library version.
The 1817 version in the British Library has long been considered Ghulam Ali Khan’s earliest topographical work, and ours was likely painted around the same time - there is no evidence to suggest it is later. Sharma pointed out that a sketch of the same scene attributed to Thomas or William Daniell of 1811-13, which was based on an earlier version of 1789, probably provided the model for Ghulam Ali Khan’s 1817 version, and thus presumably for ours too. She commented that this apparent exposure of Ghulam Ali Khan and his circle to works by the Daniells is an important element in the evolution of the artistic styles of the period (Sharma 2019, pp.141-2). It is also interesting to note that the inscriptions in the lower border of the British Library version identifying the scene are written in Persian, whereas on ours it is written in English. This perhaps suggests that ours was made for a British patron.
Ghulam Ali Khan (fl. 1817–1852) was a pivotal figure in the last flowering of the Mughal painting tradition and a major progenitor of the Delhi topographical school. He served as court painter to Emperors Akbar II (r. 1806–1837) and Bahadur Shah II (r. 1837–1858), signing himself reverently as “His Majesty’s Painter” or “the hereditary slave of the dynasty.” As the Mughal court’s financial resources dwindled, Khan navigated the changing social landscape by accepting commissions from British patrons, including William and James Fraser, Colonel James Skinner, and from regional courts in Alwar and Jhajjar. Through this interplay of cultural contexts, he developed a remarkable synthesis of late Mughal aesthetics and Company style, deftly integrating architectural topography, naturalistic depth, and European-inspired perspective.
These two depictions of the Diwan-i-Khas stand as the foundation of his topographical oeuvre. From this point on, Ghulam Ali Khan became a forerunner in moving Indian painting beyond its miniature traditions into more expansive, portrait-rich architectural landscapes.
Ghulam Ali Khan’s career exemplifies the evolving role of Indian artists under European influence. In creating works for patrons such as William Fraser (notably The Fraser Album, compiled between 1815–1819, see lots 40-47) and Sir Thomas Metcalfe (The Delhi Book, commissioned in 1844), he contributed to a visual archive that blended Mughal courtly culture with European tastes for documentary realism and topographical detail.
His panoramic architectural scenes, portraits, and illustrations of courtly life became a visual testimony to a world in transition, both preserving Mughal heritage and accommodating colonial aesthetic interests.
This watercolour of the Diwan-i-Khas is not merely an architectural rendering but a narrative canvas layered with history, craftsmanship, and cultural transition. As an elegantly signed work by Ghulam Ali Khan, it stands at the crossroads of the Mughal dynasty’s twilight and the rise of Company-era patronage. It is both an exquisite architectural portrait and a work of remarkable historical resonance that continues to enhance our understanding of early 19th-century Indian art.