The Glorification of Akbar: Leaf from the Shah Jahan Album, Mughal, period of Jahangir (1605–27)
Attributed to Govardhan
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

In the early seventeenth century, as a result of European contacts, the state portrait made its appearance at the Mughal court. The striking naturalism of other portraits is abandoned here in favor of a more idealized presentation of majesty. In this painting of Akbar (r. 1556–1605), the angels suggest a divinely appointed—or at least approved—role, while the lion and heifer symbolize a world united in peace under one benevolent ruler.

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art