Mughal Portrait of a Lady
India
18th c.
paint on paper; gouache with traces of gold
14 x 9.5cm

This woman shows the attributes of idealised feminine beauty with her large eyes, arched eyebrows and fine features. She holds a leaf in her raised right hand in classic Mughal pose. The oval format has European origins, first appearing in India in the time of Jehangir who was very take with European portrait miniatures.