A PORTRAIT OF THE MUGHAL EMPEROR SHAH 'ALAM II (R. 1760 - 1806)
Delhi, Northern India, first half 19th century

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on off-white card, the vertical portrait depicting Shah 'Alam II, the seventeenth Mughal Emperor, son of Alamgir II, with his eyes closed to represent his condition of blindness, seated on a Mughal golden throne under a caparisoned parasol, portrayed with a large irradiating luminous halo, wearing a golden overcoat with floral embroidery over a fine white muslin shirt and a pair of brocaded green trousers, the portrait following the typical Mughal convention of official portraits on a palatial terrace, with a cusped cartouche containing a black ink nasta'liq inscription in Persian at the top, set within concentric red and blue rules, and gold and off-white borders, the reverse with another nasta'liq inscription and translation in English reading 'Portrait of Shah Aulam', 22.3cm x 14.5cm.

This portrait of the blind Shah 'Alam II enthroned follows an analogous composition and Mughal Delhi pictorial style of two other portraits depicting the same sitter, one in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (inv. no. IS.114-1986), purchased at Christie's South Kensington in 1986, and another sold at Christie's London, 21 April 2016, lot 27.