Miniature pasted on an album leaf. ‘A Prince Visiting his Library’. Attributed to La’l
Northern India, Mughal; c. 1600
Leaf: 38.7 × 25.5 cm
Inventory number 3/2012
The miniature was made in the delicate nim qalam style, in which only a few elements in the pen drawing are supplemented with pale colors. The motif is quite unusual since it shows an interior. A prince is in the process of one of the occupations that was part of life at court: studying books in a library, aided by both pages and attentive librarians.
There are several related nim qalam miniatures with princes reading that have been attributed to one of Akbar’s court artists, La’l. In other contexts and on signed works, he depicted young Akbar with physical features and in situations very similar to those in this miniature. It has consequently been proposed that this prince also could be a portrait of young Akbar.
There are several related nim qalam miniatures with princes reading that have been attributed to one of Akbar’s court artists, La’l. In other contexts and on signed works, he depicted young Akbar with physical features and in situations very similar to those in this miniature. It has consequently been proposed that this prince also could be a portrait of young Akbar.
Published in
Published in
Sotheby’s, London, 20/6 1983, lot 12;
Maggs Bros: Oriental Miniatures and Illumination Bulletin, 40, 1986, pp. 82-83, cat. 81;
Sotheby’s, London, 26/4 1991, lot 62;
Kjeld von Folsach and Joachim Meyer: The Human Figure in Islamic Art. Holy Men, Princes and Commoners, The David Collection, Copenhagen 2017, fig. 40, p. 153;
And All That Is in Between. Islamic Arts Biennale 2025, Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Riyadh 2025, p. 227, cat. 184;
Maggs Bros: Oriental Miniatures and Illumination Bulletin, 40, 1986, pp. 82-83, cat. 81;
Sotheby’s, London, 26/4 1991, lot 62;
Kjeld von Folsach and Joachim Meyer: The Human Figure in Islamic Art. Holy Men, Princes and Commoners, The David Collection, Copenhagen 2017, fig. 40, p. 153;
And All That Is in Between. Islamic Arts Biennale 2025, Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Riyadh 2025, p. 227, cat. 184;
Miniature Paintings
