The Virgin of Mercy, India, Mughal, circa 1735-50

This is an interesting and unusual depiction of a Christian subject by a Mughal artist. The central figure is identified as hazrat maryam (‘Her Holiness Mary’) and the figure above her holding an orb as hazrat ‘isa (‘His Holiness Jesus’). Mary takes the form of the Virgin of Mercy with several figures, including priests and kings, kneeling below her outstretched hands. The text below the illustration is in praise of the Prophet and includes expressions of the unnamed artist’s humility and hopes for reward.

The distinctive borders of this large-scale album page are very similar to two illustrations in the Cleveland Museum of Art, the painting laid down on both pages attributed to the artist Kalyan Das or Chitarman II (2013.345; 1973.237). It is quite likely that these three folios were once assembled in the same album. A further album page with comparable floral borders sold at Christie’s South Kensington, 11 April 2014, lot 92.