The Privilege of Paint: Portraits From the Courts of India May 5, 2009

16th and 17th-century portrait artists in the Mughal empire introduced a new style of portraiture that was both more naturalistic and highly idealized and formulaic, with the figures often portrayed in strict portrait, with unwavering eyes. The paintings in this exhibit explore issues such as the depiction of identity, expressions of court life and royal lineage, how artists painted themselves and even what constituted a portrait and what did not.