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Muhammad Osman Khan

1788
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
In his portrait of the Mysore ambassador, Deseine lends the figure a sense of autonomy and dignity. The artist, who signed this work "deaf and mute," faithfully recorded the delicate folds of Osman Khan’s fine muslin jama (robe), complete with decorative tie closures, asymmetrical neckline, and sash. The stylized chain of flowers encircling his turban, neckline, and sword belt recalls the painter Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s account of another Mysore ambassador’s gold-embroidered robe.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Muhammad Osman Khan
  • Artist: Claude-André Deseine (French, 1740–1823)
  • Date: 1788
  • Medium: Terracotta with carved wood base
  • Dimensions: Including base: 25 9/16 × 15 3/4 × 9 13/16 in. (65 × 40 × 25 cm)
    Excluding base: 21 1/4 × 15 3/4 × 9 13/16 in. (54 × 40 × 25 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Musée du Louvre, Paris, Département des Sculptures, Gift of Pierre-Évariste Villemant, 1934 (RF 2334)
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts