Eskandar in a Tree Pavilion, India, ca. 1610, Opaque watercolour and gold on paper, AKM147

Eskandar in a Tree Pavilion, India, ca. 1610, Opaque watercolour and gold on paper, AKM147

Persian, Indian, and European forms converge in this stunning painting of Alexander the Great (Eskandar). Seated in a pose that resembles that of the Mughal ruler Humayun, Eskandar wears a helmet engraved with the image of a horse -- perhaps his beloved Bucephalus -- that echoes the prancing animals at upper right. The helmet's Italian all'antica style ("in the manner of the ancients") both signals the adoption of European motifs in Mughal India and participates in a revival of the shared classical past epitomized by Alexander.

Aga Khan Museum

ca. 1610

Aga Khan Museum

Dimensions:

Material: opaque watercolour and gold on paper

AKM 147

India