In late 16th century northern India, there was a general shift away from using small paintings ("miniatures") as book illustrations toward incorporating single works without text into treasured albums, or "exquisite scrap-books." Akbar was one of the Mughal Empire's legendary rulers as well as a great patron of the arts. He favored portrait studies and was interested in subjects from both high and low social classes. This self-portrait by the Mughal painter Kesu Das may have been included in one of Akbar's albums. The artist, using the techniques of the Persian style, depicts himself as a humble supplicant holding an offering of a coconut.