Uploaded May 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Hear the fascinating story of an obscure Mughal artist who has claimed his rightful place as a late 17th-century master. Ilyas Bahadur was active at a time when Emperor ‘Alamgir (r. 1658–1707) radically curtailed royal support of the arts. In light of many newly attributed paintings added to his body of work, it is now clear that several of the emperor’s sons were alternative sources of patronage for the artist, and Ilyas Bahadur emerged as the foremost Mughal artist of his time. In some respects, he was destined for greatness, for he was the son of a highly accomplished painter and father of an artist who created one of the Museum’s most renowned Indian paintings.
John Seyller, professor of Art History, University of Vermont
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Ananda Coomaraswamy Annual Lecture
Hear the fascinating story of an obscure Mughal artist who has claimed his rightful place as a late 17th-century master. Ilyas Bahadur was active at a time when Emperor ‘Alamgir (r. 1658–1707) radically curtailed royal support of the arts. In light of many newly attributed paintings added to his body of work, it is now clear that several of the emperor’s sons were alternative sources of patronage for the artist, and Ilyas Bahadur emerged as the foremost Mughal artist of his time. In some respects, he was destined for greatness, for he was the son of a highly accomplished painter and father of an artist who created one of the Museum’s most renowned Indian paintings.
John Seyller, professor of Art History, University of Vermont
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Ananda Coomaraswamy Annual Lecture
