Guerre de Child ’empereur Aurangzeb Anglais et Empire moghol Inde gravure 1780

Description

Aurangzeb receiving English representatives seeking pardon. This antique engraving dating from circa 1780 presents a historical scene set at the Mughal court in India.

The composition contrasts the authority of the enthroned emperor with the submission of the European visitors. Their gestures and positions give the encounter a theatrical character and make the relationship between the figures the central subject of the image.

The scene evokes the troubled relations between the English East India Company and the Mughal Empire during the late seventeenth century. It is associated with the episode known as Child’s War and the English request for pardon from Aurangzeb.

This is an eighteenth-century interpretation of an earlier historical event. The print reflects European interest in Indian history and in the political and commercial relationships between European trading companies and Asian rulers.

The subject is associated with Guillaume-Thomas Raynal’s Histoire des deux Indes. Its combination of imperial authority and commercial diplomacy gives the engraving an interest extending beyond the court scene itself.

The burin engraving technique uses fine lines and hatching to define the figures and establish contrasts between light and shade. Its small format invites close examination and makes it suitable for a collection of historical book illustrations or antique prints relating to India.

Subject: Aurangzeb receiving English representatives seeking pardon.
Period: circa 1780.
Technique: burin engraving on paper.
Dimensions: 14.5 × 9 cm.

The photographs form an integral part of the description and should be consulted for the condition of the print.

An antique engraving for collectors interested in Mughal India and European representations of its history.