Rembrandt’s Mughal Connection

His paintings are amongst the most prized in the world, but did you know that the Dutch master Rembrandt was a big collector of Mughal curios. So inspired was he by them, that he did a whole series of etchings and portraits of Mughal rulers like Jehangir and Shah Jahan who were his contemporaries!

In the 17th century, the Dutch were among the biggest traders who sailed the seas weaving their way across the ports of India. Frequent travel brought with it constant cultural exchanges - while the Europeans brought the idea of perspective or depth in paintings from the masters back home, they took back exotic pieces of art and miniatures. In Holland, these paintings were known as 'Suratse teeckeningen' or 'drawings from Surat', as Surat was the main trading port of the Mughal empire.

Rembrandt apparently collected all that he could find on the Mughals (he had a full album of Mughal portraits), and between 1656 - 1666 he made a series of 25 drawings based on Mughal themes. He made portraits of Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Dara Shikoh, as well as sketches of anonymous Mughal noblemen. Rembrandt was most fascinated with the Indian turbans and shawls seen in these miniatures and copied them in his other paintings as well. It is not known if Rembrandt made these drawings for his personal use or as commissions.

Today, Rembrandt’s sketches of the Mughals can be seen in museums and private collections around the world. One can only guess at their worth given what a rarity they are.

The original painting as shown in the picture above, was even displayed at the ‘India & the World' exhibition at CSMVS Museum in Mumbai in 2017.