Wedding Procession of Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah

Unknown

ca. 1650 · Opaque watercolor and gold on paper · Islamic Art

This painting depicts the nighttime wedding procession of Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (r. 1580–1612) of Golconda, and his Hindu bride Bhagmati. The attendant figures glow against the dark background as they carry umbrellas above the couple, who are seated together on a horse. This detail is a departure from the typical Indian convention, in which the bride is brought to her new home in a doli, or separate litter (seen in the background, drawn by cows). The anonymous master of this painting ushered in a realistic mode in Golconda art.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1650

Medium

Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Howard Hodgkin Collection, Purchase, Florence and Herbert Irving Acquisitions, 2020 Benefit, and Dodge Funds; Howard S. and Nancy Marks Gift; Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest; and funds from various donors, 2022