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Subject

Aurangzeb is depicted in the characteristic manner of a prince (he would have been in his early 30s)—richly robed and holding an iris, the fragrance of which he inhales with discriminating awareness. The likeness is there: large eyes deeply set into a thin face, sunken cheeks, long nose and beard. But the courtly affectations were a thin veneer over a much more ascetic character.

Style

Sir Thomas Roe, England's first official ambassador to India, spent the years 1616 to 1619 attempting to construct respectful relations between his King, James I, and the "Great Mughal" Jahangir, and to win from him a trading agreement for the young East India Company. On the whole Roe failed in his mission, but he did attract Jahangir's attention with an article he had brought among his personal possessions: a portrait miniature of his wife richly set to be worn as a memento and a jewel. Jahangir had five copies of it made, complete with the image of Roe's wife, and instructed his principal wives that they could wear it. Jahangir also had one made of himself set in gold and with a pendant pearl that he gave to Roe as a present.

The oval format of this small painting recalls the English miniature style. The painting, while intentionally a likeness, lacks the probing sensitivity of portraits done to please Jahangir. The style of the turban, wrapped with a separate cloth tightly around the head, pushing the back of the turban into a high cluster, was the style of Aurangzeb's time.

View the next image in the Aurangzeb collection.

For more information on our South Asian Collection, please visit our online catalogue.

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