Shahjahan-nama (Windsor Castle): Shah Jahan embraced by his father Jahangir in public audience, by Murad, 1657

Part of a famous series, this picture illustrates the recourse to modelling and shading which occurred under Shah Jahan. In partial reaction against the lively naturalism of Akbar, painting under Jahangir had concentrated on a somewhat flatter treatment of figures. The result was an air of calm dignity which exactly expressed the atmosphere of his court. Under Shah Jahan, flat schematic treatment was abandoned and while figures retained a quiet gravity, there was now a much greater use of perspective to convey illusions of depth. The picture is in essence a collection of portraits but the superiority of the Emperor and his son is shown by their elevated position in the hall and the greater amplitude of their forms. The elephant in the right-hand bottom corner - its vast domed head balancing the imperial pair - parallels their regal might. The shading in capitals and brackets shows western influence and was shortly to become an accepted convention under Aurangzeb