Louvre Museum, Department of Islamic Arts, Paris, France
Portrait of a Dignitary is a small painting made around 1620 during the Mughal period. It was made for a Mughal album called a muraqqa. The artist used colours and gold on paper. The painting measures about 20.2 × 12 cm while the full album page is 36 × 23.7 cm. Mughal rulers and rich people collected such paintings in albums. They enjoyed looking at them and studying the details.
The name of the artist is Muhammad Nadir al-Samarkandi. His name is written in Persian near the figure's knees. He came from Samarqand in Central Asia and later worked in India. Some sources also connect him with Kashmir. His painting style was influenced by Persian and Central Asian art. His works were known for their beauty and romantic style. Some sources connect his work with the Bukhara school of painting. However there is no complete agreement about the years in which he worked.
The man shown in this painting has not been identified. We do not know his name or his story. In my opinion the artist wanted to show the importance and dignity of the person. His clothes appearance and pose make him look like a nobleman from a high social class. The artist also wrote his own name on the painting which shows that he wanted people to know who had made it.
The painting was bought by the Louvre Museum in France in 1894 AD from the collection of Elisa Haughton. It was also shown in an exhibition in Paris in 1986 called À la cour du grand Moghol. At present the painting is not on display in the museum.
The art work is by Muhammad Nadir Samarqandi, one of the most prominent artists of the subcontinent & the middle east. Even though there are no descriptions regarding the seal on the backside of the painting, which acts as an obstacle in knowing about the authorities, emperor & empire present during that time. The artists painted Shahan Jahan's portrait, thus, we can say that he might've published his work during that period. Talking about the painting, it is a piece of work with delicate colours and exceptional intricacy. It is the portrait of a noble present during that time as portraits of ordinary citizens weren't usually painted. The use of gold suggests that the artist had adequate resources for his work. The painting is well maintained.
