Freer Gallery of Art (part of the Smithsonian Institution\'s National Museum of Asian Art)
Location History:
Created in India between 1618–1658, this piece was held in Mughal imperial albums before passing into noble custody during the 17th–19th centuries. After being acquired by British Colonel Hanna and later American collector Charles Lang Freer, it was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1920.
Hashim was one of the top Mughal painters of the seventeenth century celebrated for his portraits from the Jahangir and Shah Jahan eras. He was excellent at capturing the psychological depth of his subjects while maintaining their royal formality. His brushwork was highly valued for having combined a traditional Persian painting style with his unique style of realism. This made him one of the most valued painters of the Mughal royal court.
The Emperor Shah Jahan Standing on a Globe (ca. 1629) is a strong example of Hashim's fusion of portraiture, political promotion and spiritual mysticism. As illustrated by The Emperor Shah Jahan Standing on a Globe the emperor stands “majestically” in profile and is depicted holding a royal flywhisk and a sword studded with jewels. He stands on a globe with a lion and sheep figurine that represent peace and justice and is depicted in a classical manner .The globe represents the empire and the emperor's absolute authority. The Emperor's divine right is represented with a glowing golden halo. In the clouds angels hold a crown and a sword along with a covering to bestow protective and heavenly blessings upon the Emperor's reign.
The painting was created using opaque paste watercolours and gold on paper making it a grand technical achievement of it’s day. Opaque paste watercolours was the medium of choice because of its sense of translucence and opaqueness. Through this medium the artist was able to showcase Shah Jahan's gown and sash which are both made of muslin and heavily embroidered. The gown is embroidered with gold threads. The gown's embroidery was depicted using a varying array of colors (i.e., pigments) characteristic of the artist's brush. The painting's border is multi-layered with a thin layer of gold and a thick vast layer of shimmering gold. The intricate details and use of metallic pigments that Hashim employs is refreshing to the realm of portraiture. The painting is not merely a portrait but a testament to the height of the economic, cultural and temporal supremacy of the Mughal Empire.
This is a striking and symbolic image of Shah Jahan's universal sovereignty painted during the height of Mughal court art. The painting includes the technical refinement and synthesis of Persian, Indian, and European influences which characterised the art of the period. It signifies the emperor's claim to cosmic authority as a singular, supreme figure. It depicts his power as absolute and idealised as he stands alone on top of the world with a glowing disc of divine favour surrounding his head.
