Portrait of Emperor Alamgir (Aurangzeb)
1700
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1700
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Portrait of Emperor Alamgir (Aurangzeb) is a 1700 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
An old man with a long white beard sits at a small balcony window, a golden halo glowing behind his head. He wears a simple white robe and a turban, his hands resting on the railing. This is Emperor Alamgir, also called Aurangzeb, who ruled India in the late 1600s. The window, called a *jharokha*, was where rulers showed themselves to the public. Small portraits like this were gifts for loyal supporters. The halo suggests he ruled with divine approval. To see more of his court, look up court of Alamgir (reigned 1658–1707).
Appearing aged and benevolent, the sixth emperor of the Mughal dynasty in India sits at the jharokha window, in the attitude of dispensing favor on his subjects. Marked by a carpet draped over the railing as seen from the exterior of a palace, the jharokha window is where the emperor would come to show himself to the public. His halo indicates that he has divine grace behind him. This small portrait would have been gifted to a loyal supporter by order of the emperor.
Unlike his predecessors, Alamgir disapproved of alcohol and music.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
