Minneapolis Institute of Art

Bust portrait of an idealized youth

Hunhar II

Date

c. 1735–40

Medium

Opaque pigments and gold laid down on card

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The boy depicted in this classic “window” portrait format appears to be Hindu, indicated by his dress being gently clasped to the left side—as opposed to right side, the way Muslims wore it— as well as with the poetic inscription below: “From this Hindu boy it became clear to me That there is fire in this Indian soil.” The artist, Hunhar II, uses a bold color palette to portray a renewed artistic interest in diverse faiths, likely a consequence of the Mughal Emperor Muhamad Shah II (r.1719-1748) abolishing the jizya, a poll-tax levied on non-Muslims which had to be reinstated under Auranzgeb (r. 1658-1707), and under whose reign the Mughal workshops were disbanded for nearly thirty years. Asia

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