Four Portraits

"Four Portraits: (upper left) A Raja (Perhaps Raja Sarang Rao), by Balchand; (upper right) 'Inayat Khan, by Daulat; (lower left) 'Abd al-Khaliq, probably by Balchand; (lower right) Jamal Khan Qaravul, by Murad", the long titled but simple artwork, has a contribution from Daulat, one of the court portraitists in Mughal Emperor Jahangir's court. Muhammad Daulat or Dawlat served during the reigns of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, and by the time this painting was commissioned, he was well versed in the Mughal Miniature painting style, and what stood out the most in his works, were his impeccable gold illumination skills, seen in this painting as well. The painting, with four different portraits in four different styles from four different artists, showcases Daulat's portrait of Inayat Khan. Inayat Khan one of Jahangir's favourite courtiers, is immortalized in history due to his opium and wine addiction leading to his early death through cachexia and oedema, but in this portrait, years before his tragic end, he's painted healthy and full of rosy life. Daulat makes use of his signature bright colour palette in the portrait, and Inayat Khan appears with full bright cheeks and large eyes. There's visible contour shading in his figure, and Inayat Khan's bodice, though similar to the other three, has its own distinct characterization as well. The finishing touch of beauty in the portrait comes with the added addition of flowers in the ground, serving as a complement to the portrait's colours. Daulat's portrait of Inayat Khan, though it had a chance of being overshadowed by three other portraits, stands on its own two feet and draws the audience's attention to its lifelike beauty and ornate detail.