Artwork Page for The Emperor Alamgir (reigned 1658–1707) on Horseback

Details / Information for The Emperor Alamgir (reigned 1658–1707) on Horseback

The Emperor Alamgir (reigned 1658–1707) on Horseback

c. 1690–1710

India, Mughal Dynasty

(1526-1756)
Medium
Gum tempera, gold, and silver on paper
Measurements
Overall: 30.5 x 22.3 cm (12 x 8 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1971.81
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

The equestrian portrait genre was inspired by gifts of European prints and paintings to the Mughal court. The sixth Mughal emperor is portrayed on an elegant, decorated steed, ready for battle, holding a spear, and his sword at the ready. His attendant holds the symbolic parasol over him, which is a millennia-old emblem of kingship in India. Throughout his long reign he was primarily occupied with the conquest of the Deccan, which he ultimately achieved, expanding the Mughal Empire to its greatest geographical extent.
A vertically oriented gum tempera and gold painting depicts Emperor Alamgir, a man with a light skin tone and a white beard, riding a tan horse across a pale green background. He wears a green patterned robe, a golden halo encircling his head as he holds a spear. To the right, an attendant in a purple robe holds a golden parasol over him. Orange and blue clouds streak across the top.

The Emperor Alamgir (reigned 1658–1707) on Horseback

c. 1690–1710

India, Mughal Dynasty (1526-1756)

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