Untitled (The Last Days of Shah Jahan)

Unidentified Artist (After Cecil Burns)

This painting is an artist’s interpretation of Emperor Shah Jahan in confinement at Agra Fort, likely during the final years of his life, attended by the women of the zenana. Through the arched window, the Taj Mahal shimmers in the distance—its iconic dome and minarets etched delicately against the horizon. The image is deeply poignant—the once-mighty Mughal emperor, now a captive in his own palace, can only gaze upon the magnificent mausoleum he built for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal—now forever beyond his reach. In this way, the painting transcends mere historical illustration, becoming a meditation on power, loss and mortality.