Portrait of a kneeling holy man, from the Prince Salim Album

Portrait of a kneeling holy man, from the Prince Salim Album by Mir Sayyid Ali: The kneeling figure is a charlatan holy man who…

What to notice

In Portrait of a kneeling holy man, from the Prince Salim Album by Mir Sayyid Ali, start with portrait, geometric, nature. Then look closely at this museum-described detail: According to the inscriptions above and below the painting, he acts humble and pious for monetary gain rather than sincerity of devotion.

Discover

The kneeling figure is a charlatan holy man who wears the blue robe of a Sufi mystic. According to the inscriptions above and below the painting, he acts humble and pious for monetary gain rather than sincerity of devotion. Images of charlatan holy men recur in Mughal painting, including in the Cleveland Tuti-Nama.