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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1937.20
Title
Emperor Akbar and Gosain Jadrup, Folio from the St. Petersburg Muraqqa’
Classification
Albums
Work Type
album folio
Date
c. 1625-1630
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India
Period
Mughal period
Culture
Indian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/216627

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
46.4 x 30.9 cm (18 1/4 x 12 3/16 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Grenville L. Winthrop, Class of 1886
Accession Year
1937
Object Number
1937.20
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
Set within splendidly detailed borders, this painting depicts the aged Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605) conversing with the famous Hindu ascetic Gosain Jadrup. They are seated outside Jadrup’s humble hermitage, located on a hillside outside the city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. Although Akbar’s rule was considered to be divinely sanctioned—as signified by the halo—he is concerned with the enlightenment of his soul and is seeking spiritual wisdom from the Hindu holy man. To demonstrate respect, the emperor has removed his gold embroidered shoes, which are held by an attendant on the left. He describes Jadrup in his memoirs, the Akbarnama, as "one who understands the mysteries of the heart." The meeting with Jadrup had a profound impact not only on the emperor, but also on his son and successor, Jahangir (r. 1605–27). Jahangir commissioned this painting, and documented his own spiritual encounters with the saint, both visually and verbally, in his memoirs, the Jahangirnama.

Publication History

  • Samina Quraeshi, Lahore: The City Within, Concept Media Pte Ltd (Singapore, 1988), pae 62
  • Studies In Islamic and Later Indian Art From the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University Art Museums, Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 2002), page 25 & 36/figure 3 & 8a/detail on 16

Exhibition History

  • Eyes to the East: Indian, Persian, and Turkish Art Given by Harvard Graduates, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 09/22/1990 - 11/25/1990
  • Saints, Shrines and Pilgrimages, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 04/06/1991 - 06/09/1991
  • Shadows of God On Earth: Arts of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Dynasties, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 06/21/1997 - 08/31/1997
  • Divinely Inspired: Images of Mystics and Mendicants, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 01/16/1999 - 03/29/1999
  • 32Q: 2590 South and Southeast Asia, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/02/2016 - 04/26/2017
  • A Colloquium in the Visual Arts, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 08/27/2022 - 12/30/2022

Related Works

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