European prints became a key source of inspiration for artists at the courts of Akbar (r. 1556–1605) and Jahangir (r. 1605–27) in northern India. Mughal painters adopted this foreign vocabulary but made it their own by incorporating local style and techniques and by adding iconographic elements that would be meaningful to a pluralistic audience. The result of this innovative synthesis is not merely a Europeanized mode of painting but a vision linked to Akbar’s religious universalism and the global connections of the Mughal court. Curatorial fellow Janet O’Brien will guide visitors through a new installation in Gallery 2400 that features Mughal paintings and drawings that capture this new visual idiom.

This gallery talk is part of our New on View series, highlighting recent gallery installations and presenting new insights into recent acquisitions or old favorites.

Led by:
Janet O’Brien, Calderwood Curatorial Fellow in South Asian and Islamic Art, Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art