"Portrait of Maharaja Bhim Kanwar", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album
verso: ca. 1615–29; recto: ca. 1540
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Page: H. 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm) W. 10 1/16 in. (25.6 cm) Painting: H. 6 7/16 in. (16.4 cm) W. 3 13/16 in. (9.7 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Rogers Fund and The Kevorkian Foundation Gift, 1955
Accession Number
55.121.10.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite folio from the Shah Jahan Album features a portrait of Maharaja Bhim Kanwar on the verso, painted by the masterful Mughal artist Nanha around 1615–29, paired with calligraphy by the renowned Safavid master Mir 'Ali Haravi on the recto from circa 1540. Titled "Portrait of Maharaja Bhim Kanwar," it captures the Rajput ruler in a poised, regal pose, adorned with symbols of power like swords and delicate flowers—hallmarks of Mughal portraiture that blend Hindu nobility with imperial sophistication. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art Department, this work exempli...