The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 17, 2025

Portrait of Raja Jagat Singh of Nurpur (reigned 1618–46)

probably 1619

attributed to Bichitr

(Indian, active c. 1615–50)
Mughal India, Court of Jahangir (reigned 1605 - 27), possibly Lahore
Gum tempera and gold on paper
Painting only: 19.1 x 11.6 cm (7 1/2 x 4 9/16 in.); Page: 41 x 32.7 cm (16 1/8 x 12 7/8 in.)
Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection 2013.324
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Jagat Singh, shown in this miniature, was a favorite of the Mughal queen.

Description

Jagat Singh was a prince from a small kingdom in the western Himalayan foothills who grew up at the imperial Mughal court of Jahangir and his queen Nur Jahan. He was given the title of prince in 1619, and this painting may commemorate that event. Very few nobles from the hill states had positions at the Mughal court at this time, so his portrait is a rare imperial Mughal painting.

The emperor and his favorite wife frequently visited Nurpur, named “City of Light” in their honor, to hunt and relax, and Prince Jagat Singh was a favorite of the queen. She interceded on his behalf in 1624, when he joined a rebellion to dethrone her husband.
  • 1930–2005
    Private collection, 1930–2005
    2005–2013
    Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer, Beverly Hills, CA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2013–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Mace, Sonya Rhie, Mohsen Ashtiany, Catherine Glynn, Pedro Moura Carvalho, Marcus Fraser, and Ruby Lal. Mughal Paintings: Art and Stories: the Cleveland Museum of Art. London: D Giles Limited, 2016. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. 53, pp. 332–333 and fig. no. 4.79, p. 228
  • Indian Gallery 242 Rotation – April-November 2018. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (April 2-November 18, 2018).
  • {{cite web|title=Portrait of Raja Jagat Singh of Nurpur (reigned 1618–46)|url=false|author=Bichitr|year=probably 1619|access-date=17 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2013.324