This colorful painting is of the Nawab of Awadh, Asaf-ud-daula and is made from natural colors. It was originally from Murshidabad, tracing the work back to 1750 CE approximately. The size of this painting is 39.8 x 30.6cm and one can find it at the Miniature Painting Gallery at the National Museum, New Delhi.

Asaf-ud-daula was the Nawab Wazir of Oudh (Awadh) from 1775 to 1797. He was the son of Shuja-ud-Daula. His mother and grandmother were the begums of Oudh (Awadh). Asaf-ud-daula was married to the daughter of Imtiaz-ud-daula, a nobleman who wielded considerable influence in the Court of the Emperor at Delhi. He died in 1797 in Lucknow.

Gold and beige are the dominant colors of the painting which are immediately evident to the viewer. This beautiful painting has a gold border which has flowers and leaves. The colours have been used to signify the nobility of the subject in focus. Paintings were not candid captures of everyday life; instead they can be understood as manufactured settings curated to perform certain predetermined functions such as the display of power, prestige, luxury and comfort for example. The Nawab is cradled in wealth but even in his moment of leisure is attending to matters of governance.

One can see Asaf-ud-daula sitting on a pavilion with a shamianamade of goldcovering him. He is sitting with a backrest and two pillows. In terms of his trousseau, he is depicted wearing an angrakha (a traditional upper garment worn by men in the Indian Subcontinent which overlaps and is tied to the left or right shoulder. It was a court outfit that a person could wrap around himself, offering ease with the knots and ties appropriate for wearing). Next to him is his sword which is green in color and on it one can notice a gold sheath and the gold handle as well. Behind him stand his attendants holding morechhal (peacock feathers) to fan him. This particular painting shows a casual scene at home. Asaf-ud-daula is being approached by two messengers, they have papers in theirhands and it looks like they want to speak to Nawab about something. One can see that he is sitting in a marble pavilion which has a golden boundary. In the background is a pond with a fountain in it, surrounded by the garden. Under the patronage of the Nawabs of Awadh, a delicate style of painting flourished in which the artist expressed their delight in depicting lovely gardens and palaces.