Emperor Jahangir Embraces Shah Abbas
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Mixed Media |
| Current Location: | National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, DC, USA |
| Location History: | The location history of the painting Emperor Jahangir embraces Shah Abbas spans from the imperial courts of India and Iran to the art markets of Europe and America. Commissioned around 1618 at the Mughal Court, it remained housed in the Mughal Library in Delhi, India, until 1739 when it was plundered by Nadir Shah and brought to the Imperial Library in Tehran, Iran. There, it was bound into the St. Petersburg Album, which was later disassembled and dispersed into Europe during the late 19th century. By 1909, the painting resurfaced on the art market in Tehran before entering the private collection of art dealer Hagop Kevorkian in New York by 1944. Finally, in 1945, it was purchased by the National Museum of Asian Art, where it has since resided in the permanent collection in Washington, DC. |
Jahangir appointed Abu'l Hasan also known as Badi-uz-Zaman, the master of portraiture who had been awarded the title of "Wonder of the Age" by Jahangir, to paint this enormous miniature painting with opaque watercolor, gold, and silver, showing a meeting that never happened. Jahangir dreamed of holding his Persian rival, Shah Abbas, in one big embrace; Abu'l Hasan created this artwork from that dream and provided a stunning piece of imperial propaganda. At the time of the painting, both emperors were at odds as they fought for control of Qandahar, a critical, strategically located fortress in western Afghanistan that both were attempting to capture from the other. While both kings were diplomatic in their dealings with one another, their relations were filled with tension and competition. The power dynamic revealed in the painting is unmistakable; Jahangir is larger than life, is very confident in his manners, and is positioned in an easy, relaxed manner. Conversely, Shah Abbas is much smaller than Jahangir and appears in a pose that is more like a supplicant to Jahangir's superior at the time. While both kings have an embracing posture, Jahangir has the upper hand by virtue of being elevated above Shah Abbas. Below both of them are globes; the globe is a recurring symbol in Abu'l Hasan's work and is an allusion to Jahangir because of the meaning of the name Jahangir, meaning one who "seizes the world." Under the Mughal emperor is a lion; under the Persian emperor, there is a lamb. Both the lion and the lamb are symbols of power, but they are also symbols with a theatrical nature. The Mughal Emperor has a lion lounging around him and the Persian Emperor has a lamb underneath him; this symbolism is so purposeful that it is a little bit theatrical. The lion is covering the entirety of the continent of India, and also intruding into Iran as it clearly shows the ambitions of the Mughal court to extend their influence beyond the Persian world. All of the details in this work of art have been done with incredible thought, with all symbols working together to create a subtle political statement. There are many artistic qualities of the great Mughal Empire that bring such an extraordinary work of art together: brilliant use of luminosity, precision in line, and dramatic composition blending to create a painting that makes its message feel almost accidental. It is not so much a portrait of the Mughal and Persian Emperors as it is a picture of their desire for power, packaged beautifully and made to feel like it was just how things are supposed to be.