This self-portrait, attributed to Mughal painter Kesu Das, may have been created for an album dedicated to the famous Emperor Akbar, a great patron of the arts and one of the rulers of the legendary Mughal Empire. In a portrait, the subject's pose, gestures, facial expression, and gaze can tell us about their personality, attitudes, and state of mind.

Roll your cursor over the image to magnify. What do you see?

• How would you describe the man’s pose? What is he doing?
• What is he holding? Why do you think the artist chose to include this object?
• Where is he looking? How would you describe his facial features?
• What does the painting suggest about his attitude toward others?
• What types of lines and colors has the artist used?
• How does this artwork make you feel?
• What does this artwork say about the artist?

For more information about art and architecture in the Mughal Empire, visit the following websites:

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History:
www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mugh/hd_mugh.htm www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mugh_2/hd_mugh_2.htm

Indian Art:
www.indianart.ru/eng/mughal/index.php

Now compare A Man Holding a Coconut with another portrait in the museum’s collection, Chester Harding’s portrait of Amos Lawrence, a generous donor who funded the construction of the Lawrence Hall Rotunda. How does the portrait of Amos Lawrence compare with Kesu Das's self-portrait?

Chester Harding (American, 1792–1866)
Portrait of Amos Lawrence, Benefactor, 1846
oil on canvas
81 15/16 x 52 3/8 in.
Commissioned by the Trustees of Williams College
1846.1