A portrait of a prince astride a blue stallion, India, Mughal style at Kishangarh, first half 18th century, verso with calligraphy signed by ‘Ali Reza Abbasi, Persia, Safavid, dated 1022 AH/1613-14 AD

inscriptions

The margins include couplets from Sana’i’s hadiqat al-haqiqah.

The central couplets are by Amir Khusraw Dehlavi, according to the heading, although not found in his divan. The central panel is copied by the Safavid royal calligrapher 'Ali Reza al-'Abbasi for an unnamed official, dated 1022 AH (1613-14 AD).

This impressive equestrian portrait of a young prince holding a lance, seated on a dappled blue stallion, would have been painted in Kishangarh either by a Mughal artist or a Rajasthani artist working in the Mughal style. The subject is reminiscent of earlier seventeenth century Mughal paintings. See for comparison, an equestrian portrait of Shah Alam I as a prince holding a lance, seated on a blue horse with its forelegs raised in a similar manner, attributed to the artist Hunhar and dated to circa 1680 (T. McInerney, Indian Painting 1525-1825, London, 1983, no.15, illus.on p.42). Imperial Mughal artists such as Bhavanidas and his son, Dalchand, who worked at the Mughal court in Delhi for Emperor Shah Alam I moved to Kishangarh in the first quarter of the eighteenth century. This had a significant impact on the existing painting tradition in Kishangarh and on the work of future artists. Another comparable equestrian portrait of Muhammad Shaybani Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan and an Uzbek leader, painted in Kishangarh and dated to the early eighteenth century, sold in Christie’s London, 21 April 2016, lot 29.

The reverse of the present painting has a panel of calligraphy signed by the Persian calligrapher ‘Ali Reza and dated 1022 AH/1613-14 AD. Originally from Tabriz, ‘Ali Reza moved to Qazvin and later joined the court of the Safavid ruler, Shah ‘Abbas, in Isfahan. He was a close companion of the king for which he received the title of ‘Abbasi’. There are numerous signed pieces by him dated from 1591-92 to 1616, including inscriptions on the gold plaque of the sepulchre of Imam Reza in Mashhad and inscriptions on buildings in Isfahan (M. Bayani, ahval va asar-e khosh-navisan, vol.II, Teheran, 1346 sh., pp.456-461).