340 - A Mughal portrait of a standing servant, 17th century, Mughal Northern India, depicted facing right, holding a tray with lemongrass, ginger and coconut in his hands, dressed in layers of white muslin, his sash decorated with red and gold, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper (image 15.5 x 8cm; framed and glazed) Provenance: From the collection of David and Sandy Fuller. Footnote: The present work belongs to the tradition of Mughal painting, produced under the courtly patronage that dominated much of northern and central India from the 16th century until 1858. Under the patronage of Emperor Akbar (r.1556-1605), imperial ateliers (kitabkhana) were commissioned to illustrate not only Persian manuscripts but also Hindu epics, reflecting a broad cultural inclusivity. This artistic flourishing continued under his successor Jahangir (r.1605-1627), whose keen interest in observation and naturalism furthered the sophistication of the style. Both emperors were receptive to European influence, and Mughal works of the period reveal the impact of Renaissance techniques such as chiaroscuro, as well as occasional Christian iconography, including cherub figures. The reigns of Akbar, Jahangir and, to a lesser extent, Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658) represent the height of Mughal painting. In the later period, as imperial authority declined, regional centres in Awadh - notably Lucknow, Faizabad and Murshidabad - emerged as important schools, continuing and adapting the Mughal pictorial tradition.