Govardhan was an active Mughal painter considered to be a master of portraiture and illustration by his peers. Son of the Hindu painter Bhavani Das, Govardhan was born into imperial service and remained active during the reigns of the emperors Akbar, Jahāngīr, Shah Jahān. He was hailed for his ability to capture the psychological state of his sitters and incorporate fashionable, international motifs; one surviving illustration from the early 17th century incorporates Dutch-inspired elements in the background. Govardhan’s famous commissions include illustrations for Bābur-nāmeh, or Memoirs of Bābur, currently in the British Museum’s collection. He was also called upon to paint commemorative images depicting famous royal events.