"Portrait of Mulla Muhammad Khan Vali of Bijapur", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album 1512 - 1645

Hashim painted this portrait of Mulla Muhammad Khan Vali of Bijapur using opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper. Notice the profusion of botanical motifs that surround the central figure. These were achieved through a laborious process of layering thin washes of paint, building up detail gradually. The technique speaks to a culture of meticulous refinement, with a division of labor implied. Certain artists would have prepared the paper, others would have burnished the gold, and still others would have applied the pigments according to established hierarchies of skill. This was not simply painting, but manuscript production. The image testifies to the wealth and power of the Mughal court, evident in the high degree of finish and the precious materials employed, but it also reflects a regimented, even bureaucratic, system of artistic production. Appreciating the craft involved helps us understand the social and economic conditions that made such exquisite objects possible.