1979.346.27: The King of Delhi, Descendant of a Schab, whose Eyes were Put out in Ld. Clive's Time when he was Delivered up to the English; from an Album entitled “Costumes of India”
Albums
This object does not yet have a description.
Identification and Creation
- Object Number
- 1979.346.27
- People
-
Lucknow Company School, Indian (early 19th century)
- Title
- The King of Delhi, Descendant of a Schab, whose Eyes were Put out in Ld. Clive's Time when he was Delivered up to the English; from an Album entitled “Costumes of India”
- Classification
- Albums
- Work Type
- album folio
- Date
- c. 1800
- Places
- Creation Place: South Asia, India, Northern India
- Culture
- Indian
- Persistent Link
- https://hvrd.art/o/216069
Physical Descriptions
- Medium
- Opaque watercolor on paper
- Dimensions
- 34.3 x 26.8 cm (13 1/2 x 10 9/16 in.)
Acquisition and Rights
- Credit Line
- Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mrs. C. Adrian Rübel
- Accession Year
- 1979
- Object Number
- 1979.346.27
- Division
- Asian and Mediterranean Art
- Contact
- am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
- Permissions
-
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Descriptions
- Commentary
-
Label text from exhibition “Company to Crown: Perceptions and Reactions in British India,” April 8–October 15, 2011, curated by Maliha Noorani, 2009–11 Norma Jean Calderwood Curatorial Fellow, Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art, Harvard Art Museums:
The King of Delhi, Descendant of a Schab, Whose Eyes Were Put Out in Ld. Clive’s Time When He Was Delivered up to the English; from an Album Entitled “Costumes of India”
Lucknow, India, c. 1800
Opaque watercolor on paper
Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mrs. C. Adrian Rübel, 1979.346.27
“The King of Delhi” referenced in the painting, Shah Alam Khan II (r. 1759–1806), was blinded by Afghan Ghulam Qadir, who invaded Delhi in 1787. Qadir was not able to hold Delhi, however, and Shah Alam II continued to rule the city as a puppet of the British, who were not yet strong enough to claim dominance on their own, until his death in 1806.
Part of an album of historical personalities, this painting reveals how the British wished to be perceived. The title “King of Delhi” in capital letters belies the wording below as well as the image above, subtly pointing to the king’s redundancy while amplifying the British position in India. Shah Alam II appears more as a humble ascetic than a Mughal king. Dressed simply and seated beside a Muslim tomb, he is perhaps in prayer. The spare setting and muted tones of the landscape lend an air of resignation.
Exhibition History
- Re-View: S231 (Islamic rotation: 7) Company to Crown, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 04/08/2011 - 10/15/2011
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Verification Level
This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu