Chitarman II was a highly influential court painter during the late 17th and first half of the 18th centuries. His actual name was Kalyan Das. He is recognised for his usage of cool and subdued palette in his paintings. His works are products of later Mughal experiments with extreme geometric symmetry and refined architectural settings. Chitarman II often left backgrounds vacant, vast, or minimalist—such as clean architectural walls or open sky horizons—to force the viewer's focus directly onto the primary subjects. The above painting entitled ‘Muhammad Farrukhsiyar’ is an excellent example of his usage of flat background. In this painting, Furrukhshiyar is sitting on a horse. The house is yellowish. It can be a conscious choice of the painter not to use realistic features. It was an active choice to show the emperor as a charismatic and super natural human being. There is a halo behind his head that signifies him as a divine emperor. There is a flat background that shows a land beside the emperor. Small swans are shown to project the distance. The lake mixes up on the horizon. There are clouds shown on the upper side of the horizon. The calming blue background is contrasted with a low, green land line at the base. This painting is an excellent example of later Mughal patronage in painting. Layer patronage showed signs of economic decline of later Mughal Empire. There was also a tendency towards illustrating flattened spaces.
The painting captures Muhammad Farrukhsiyar not merely as a ruler, but as a figure moving through history with quiet authority. Seated gracefully upon a richly adorned horse, he appears suspended between earthly power and divine symbolism, emphasized by the luminous halo surrounding his head. His patterned crimson robes contrast beautifully with the pale blue sky, creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere. The flying birds introduce movement and freedom, while the delicate flowers and plants beneath the horse suggest fertility and renewal. Yet the ruler’s composed posture remains still and controlled. The painting therefore transforms royal power into a poetic image of elegance, spirituality, and timeless sovereignty.
