Indian Painting under the Mughals, A.D. 1550 to A.D. 1750 c20.3

c20.3

on one occasion that I visited the Emperor’s own city, in going to the imperial palace with my comrades I passed through the bazaar of the painters. . . . In the evening on leaving the palace I passed again through the same bazaar, and there I saw my own portrait and the portraits of my companions painted on sheets of paper and exposed on the walls. We all stopped to examine the likenesses, and every body found that of his neighbour to be excellent! I was told that the Emperor had ordered the painters to take our likenesses, and that they had come to the palace for the purpose whilst we were there. They studied us and painted us without our knowing anything of the matter. In fact it is an established custom among the Chinese to take the portrait of any stranger that visits their country.¹