Portrait of Maharaja Bhim Kanwar
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York, United States. |
| Location History: | The 'Portrait of Maharaja Bhim Kanwar' was initially created somewhere in the Mughal Imperial Library in Delhi and Agra between 1615 and 1650, where it was kept secure and safe until it was stolen and taken to Isfahan, Persia (modern-day Iran) during Nader Shah's plunder of Delhi in 1739. In the late 19th century, the Shah Jahan Album was brought to Paris, where it was intentionally disassembled by European art dealers who sold the individual leaves on the Western art market. The folio was eventually bought by Armenian-American collector Hagop Kevorkian for his personal antiquities collection, but eventually found its permanent home in New York City in 1955, where it was bought by The Metropolitan Museum of Art thanks to a Rogers Fund and a generous donation from the Kevorkian Foundation. |
The portrait of the Mughal nobleman is titled “Portrait of Maharaja Bhim Kanwar,” which is an exquisite folio of the Shah Jahan Album in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was created by the masterful Mughal court painter Nanha between 1615 and 1629. The subject of this artwork is the talented and courageous Mewari Rajput Bhim Kanwar, also spelled as Bhim Kunwar. His father, Rana Amar Singh of Mewar, had decided to send him to Prince Khurram (later Emperor Shah Jahan) as a gift, and Bhim Kanwar became a valiant warrior and a devoted servant to him. He was awarded the title of “Maharaja” for his dedication and bravery. It is noteworthy that the political and social history of the Mughal Empire is closely associated with this outstanding figure. The Rajput aristocracy was quite influential in the past as it was regarded as one of the leading social classes in the Empire, and its members were appointed to the highest positions in the government. For instance, in the case of Emperor Shah Jahan, his wife was a Rathor Rajput princess; thus, technically, he was a slave to his wife, which was an unusual situation in those times. The artist managed to capture the personality and the vigorous spirit of the notable Mughal leader. Nanha depicted the Maharaja in a conventional profile view set against a simple cyan-teal background to highlight his facial features and outstanding figure. He is dressed in a thin white jama (a flowing dress or long jacket) tied at the left shoulder in the traditional Hindu manner, showing off his intricate floral patterned paijama (trousers). In the picture, the Maharaja wears a closed posture with arms folded across his chest, signaling his readiness for action. A slender curved saber with a curved blade and a thick grip is suspended at his waist from a curved orange-red belt. The saber is attached to a brooch, and a magnificent patka (a sash belt) hangs from it. Around the composition, there is a hashiya (a decorative frame in the shape of a border) made of gold flecks, framing exquisite hand-painted flora (lilies and pansies) and mounted Persian inscriptions in an elegant script. Such paintings were widely popular among the Mughal rulers, and many details of this particular portrait can be found in other works of that era.
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