This painting depicts the Mughal Emperor Jehangir (1569 – 1605) and his 20th and favorite wife, the Persian widow Nur Jehan (1577 – 1645).  Her moniker or title meant ‘light of the world,’ which Emperor Jehangir gave to her five years after they married. She was known for both her beauty and intelligence, and she quickly became Jehangir’s chief consult. She was the most powerful and influential woman in the court during the peak of the Mughal Empire. South Asian cultures, including those of Pakistan and India, have numerous myths and legends about Nur Jahan’s life.  

This painting is by Abdur Rahman Chughtai (1894 – 1975), a Pakistani artist who used a unique style influenced by both traditional Islamic art and 20th century Art Nouveau. His works are characterized by a subtle flat wash of colour followed by linear arabesque, or traditional Islamic patterning, and shows a close relationship to the art of calligraphy. Chughtai came from generations of craftsmen, architects and traditional artists, and refined his traditional painting style towards incorporating Art Nouveau elements. By the late 1920s, he was a renowned artist working mostly in watercolour and printmaking.

This painting was presented by the representative of the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, Professor Ahmed Bokhari, and Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold accepted it on behalf of the organization.