Qutb Minar
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | It was sold at Bonhams auction to an unlisted buyer, currently resides in a private collection. |
| Location History: | This piece belongs to a rare and historically significant album consisting of 31 paintings depicting architectural landmarks around Delhi alongside portraits of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, and his royal sons. The collection was originally commissioned as a presentation set for the British East India Company officer Sir Thomas Monteath Douglas. Later, the album was put up for public auction from an anonymous seller at Bonhams (London) in their Islamic and Indian Art sale. |
The given artwork was made by legendary painter Ghulam Ali Khan in 1852 and was commissioned by Sir Thomas Monteath Douglas. It depicts the iconic Qutb Minar and the Alai Darwaza, both being part of the Quwwat-ul-Islam (might of Islam) Mosque complex. The Qutb Minar was a minaret used by the Muezzin to give the call for Namaz called the Adhan. But, it also served a greater symbolic purpose of showing victory and might of Islam. It was built between 1199 and 1220 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak to commemorate his victory over the hindu ruler Prithviraj Chauhan. The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque served as the main prayer mosque for the Ghurids in Delhi. The Alai Darwaza visible in the painting served as the grand southern gateway to the greater complex. It was made by Alauddin Khilji in 1311 under an ambitious expansion project of the greater Quwwat-ul-Islam complex. It is interesting to note that Ghulam Ali Khan has also depicted the Tomb of Adham Khan in this artwork. His tomb sits southwest of the Qutb Minar in Mehrauli. It was built by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1562 to serve as a mausoleum for his foster brother and general Adham Khan. He was executed on charge of murdering Akbar's favourite minister Ataga Khan. Ghulam Ali Khan came from a family of court painters and his painting career spanned for about four decades. Sir Thomas commissioned Ghulam Ali Khan to draw a series of paintings depicting architectural landmarks in and around Delhi. Ghulam Ali Khan shows his versatility by working under both Mughal patrons and British patrons thus marking a period of intense transformation. The way he adapted his skills to meet up with the requirements of his British masters, talks of his prowess at watercolor and paint handling. His depiction of architecture to utmost details in his paintings make them more lively, as can be seen in the painting above.