{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O18906"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O18906/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AV8343/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AV8343/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AV8343","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O18906/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O18906","accessionNumber":"IM.286-1913","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"The emperor 'Alamgir (Aurangzeb)","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The Mughal prince Aurangzeb took the title Alamgir (World Seizer) when he came to power in 1658, having usurped his seriously ill father Shah Jahan. The emperor is depicted in this painting which dates from ca. 1660 as a relatively young man, richly dressed and bejewelled, and with the halo that characterised imperial figures from the reign of his grandfather, Jahangir. Later in life, his religious asceticism made him reject such opulence. The anonymous artist has shown him standing, full length, in profile against a plain pale green background, continuing a tradition in Mughal portraiture that had begun in the late 16th century. Alamgir inherited an immensely wealthy empire, but spent the second half of his extremely long reign (he died in 1707) conducting wars against the Muslim sultanates of the Deccan, in the south of the subcontinent, which though ultimately successful were won at enormous cost and weakened the empire irrevocably.","physicalDescription":"Painting, in  opaque watercolour and gold on paper, portrait of Aurangzeb ('Alamgir I, 1658-1707), wearing outdoor ceremonial robes of gold brocade and orange-red fabric and royal jewellery, and armed with a long straight-bladed sword and a katar (punch dagger). ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"opaque watercolour","id":"x35013"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper","categories":[{"text":"ELISE","id":"THES48961"},{"text":"Images Online","id":"THES48937"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Royalty","id":"THES48899"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project","id":"THES263148"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mughal court","id":"x30977"},{"text":"Mughal","id":"AAT18939"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006AV8343"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES403708"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"painting","id":"AAT33618"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Mughal Empire","id":"THES262021"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1700","earliest":"1695-01-01","latest":"1704-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Messrs luzac & Co., 46 Great Russell Street","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"19.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"11.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"painting only ","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Purchased from Messrs luzac & Co., 46 Great Russell Street. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.\r\n\r\nRP 1913-1239M","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Painting, the emperor 'Alamgir with a halo, standing facing left, holding a long straight-bladed sword. Opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1700","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Swallow, Deborah and John Guy eds. <font u>Arts of India: 1550-1900</font u>. text by Rosemary Crill, John Guy, Veronica Murphy, Susan Stronge and Deborah Swallow. London : V&A Publications, 1990. 240 p., ill. ISBN 1851770224, p.99, no.78."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"T.Koezuka,ed; RC,TK,SS. Catalogue; intro DS&TK; The Arts of The Indian Courts. Osaka.1993. No.5"},{"reference":{"text":"Swallow, D., Stronge, S., Crill, R., Koezuka, T., editor and translator, \"The Art of the Indian Courts. Miniature Painting and Decorative Arts\", Victoria & Albert Museum and NHK Kinki Media Plan, 1993.","id":"AUTH346698"},"details":"p. 31, cat. no. 5","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"Aurangzeb (Alamgir I, 1658-1707), wearing outdoor ceremonial robes of gold brocade and orange-red fabric and royal jewellery, and armed with a long Rajput sword and a katar (punch dagger).","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Aurangzeb","id":"N953"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"sword","id":"AAT37048"},{"text":"dagger","id":"AAT37058"},{"text":"emperor","id":"AAT25480"},{"text":"jewellery","id":"AAT209286"},{"text":"halo","id":"x35202"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"THE EMPEROR ‘ALAMGIR AS A YOUNG MAN\r\nOpaque water colour and gold on paper\r\nMughal\r\nca. 1660\r\n\r\nIM.286-1913\r\n\r\nThe beginning of Aurangzeb’s reign, when he took the title ‘Alamgir or “Seizer of the World”, was characterised by great splendour. At his coronation, he sat on the spectacular Jewelled Throne that had been made for Shah Jahan. This had taken seven years to create and would later become legendary, and known as the Peacock Throne. The French goldsmith and jewel merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier who visited the court in the 1660s commented on ‘Alamgir’s love of precious stones and the opulence of his ornaments. \r\n","date":{"text":"2008","earliest":"2008-01-01","latest":"2008-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["IM.286-1913"],"accessionNumberNum":"286","accessionNumberPrefix":"IM","accessionYear":1913,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-07","recordCreationDate":"1999-12-22","availableToBook":true}}