Portret van Sultan Mahmud, zoon van Ibrahim Adil-shah; na zijn vader is hij heerser over Bijapur geweest c. 1686

This watercolor painting portrays Sultan Mahmud, ruler of Bijapur, although the artist is unknown and the exact date of its creation is uncertain. The work likely emerged from the cultural milieu of the Adil Shahi dynasty in India, sometime in the 17th century. Royal portraiture in this period served to legitimize the ruler's authority. We can see it in the way Mahmud is depicted here: he has a halo, wears a turban and jewelry, and holds a sword. He also delicately holds a flower, a detail that perhaps speaks to the Sultan’s refined tastes. But what are we to make of the dark shape that obscures the lower part of the figure? Was this added later? What does it conceal? Understanding this image demands that we delve further into Bijapur’s history, its courtly culture, and the conventions of portraiture at that time. By consulting historical texts, dynastic chronicles, and related artworks, we can start to unravel its mysteries. In this way, we can begin to understand how art is always a product of its time and place.