A Portrait of Mian Bijai of Bilaspur Opaque watercolor on paper

India, Bilaspur circa 1650-60 This important portrait from Bilaspur depicts Mian Bijai Singh, paternal uncle of Dip Chand, the founder of the capital of Bilaspur. The sitter is portrayed seated at ease on a low stool wearing a fine muslin robe. "The portrait ... is identified by a inscription in Persian on the reverse:Tasvir Mian Bijai Mian Bija Birader-e Khurd Sri Raja Tara Chand Sahib...Kahlur Bilaspur ( Portrait of Prince Bijai, Prince Bijai younger brother of the exalted Raja Tara Chand of Kahlur-Bilaspur). The family resemblance between Bijai Chand and his nephew is evident in the high forehead and in the similar shape of their noses. The sitter is shown in an intimate pose, yet the exact ambience is puzzling. Perhaps Bijai Chand has recently emerged from his prayers. Purified he wears a sheer white jama bordered in gold, typically donned for such an occasion. His feet are elevated from the ground bt wooden sandels secured by thongs between the toes. The object held in his hands appears to be a small manuscript..... The use of mixed perspective for the legs of the low white stool illustrates the painters' unease with, or perhaps inability to fully adopt, the Mughal concept of reality. A likeness of Bijai Chand would have been desirable during his lifetime, or during the time span of relatives who actually knew him.... The painting can thus be dated c.1650-60." Catherine Glynn, "Mughalized Portraits of Bilaspur Royalty in the Second Half of the 17th Century," The Arts of Mughal India: Studies in Honor of Robert Skelton , London, 2004, fig. 2, illustrated. Opaque watercolor on paper