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Gallery Talk: A Mughal Portrait in the Hands of a Dutch Master

A portrait of a man wearing a robe, turban, sash, and pointed sandals. A sword and shield are fastened upon his belt.
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, Dutch, Portrait of Aurangzeb (after a Mughal Portrait), c. 1655. Brown ink, brown wash, black chalk, and white opaque watercolor on Asian paper; later additions in gray wash and scratchwork, framing line in brown ink, mounted overall. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Charles A. Loeser, 1932.366.

Gallery Talk

In-Person
Harvard Art Museums
32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA

This event does not require registration; see further details below.

In the 1650s, Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn created several copies of Mughal portraits. Twenty-three of these survive today, including one at the Harvard Art Museums. In this talk, graduate student Khushi Choudhary will explore Rembrandt’s “creative copies,” by considering his portrait of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in contrast to one made in a Mughal studio.

This tour is offered in conjunction with the exhibition Imagine Me and You: Dutch and Flemish Encounters with the Islamic World, 1450–1750 (May 18–August 18, 2024).

Led by:
Khushi Choudhary, Graduate Student Teacher, Division of Academic and Public Programs

Please check in with museum staff at the Visitor Services desk in the Calderwood Courtyard to request to join the talk. Talks are limited to 18 people and are available on a first-come, first-served basis; no registration is required.

The Harvard Art Museums are now offering free admission every day, Tuesday through Sunday. Please see the museum visit page to learn about our general policies for visiting the museums.

Support for Imagine Me and You: Dutch and Flemish Encounters with the Islamic World, 1450–1750 is provided by the Stanley H. Durwood Foundation Support Fund and the Melvin R. Seiden and Janine Luke Fund for Publications and Exhibitions. Related programming is supported by the M. Victor Leventritt Lecture Series Endowment Fund.

The Harvard Art Museums are committed to accessibility for all visitors. For anyone requiring accessibility accommodations for our programs, please contact us at am_register@harvard.edu at least 48 hours in advance.