Origin of Mughal School of Paintings

The genesis, nature and progress of Mughal School of

painting are an amalgamation of numerous components.
Chinese art which had impact of Buddhist Indian art,
Hellenic, Mongolian and Iranian art was brought to Iran in
the 13th century and it kept on flourishing till 16th
century in Iran. From Persia, Mughals carried this art to
India. Later, Humayun's fascination with Persian Paintings
in the court of Shah Tahmasp II in Tabriz was the
foundation cause of existence of Mughal School of
Paintings. He was so infatuated with the Persian art Form
that two Persian Painters were with him when he came to
India. The Indian version of their work is today known as
the Mughal Paintings. The Tutinama (Tales of a Parrot) is
the first example of Mughal School of Painting. It is now in
the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Themes of Mughal School of Painting
Mughal Paintings gave blossoming shades of variety. The
rich assortment included events, portraits and scenes
from the court life, hunting scenes, wild life and
illustrations of battle fronts. Some paintings also
illustrated lovers in warm positions.
Style of Mughal School of Paintings

Mughal School of Painting during Babur

Babur inherited an artistic taste. He was a great lover of art.
Flowers, streams and springs fascinated him. Paintings in Alwar
manuscript of Persian version of Baburs Memoirs may represent
the type of work his court painters created.
Mughal School of Painting during Humayun
When Humayun returned to Kabul from Persia, he invited Mir
Sayyad Ali and Abdus Samad and requested to illustrate Dastan-iAmir Hamzah. Because of his early demise, great painting works
couldnt be completed.
Mughal School of Painting during Akbar
Painting reached great heights during Akbars reign. He created a
painting department. He called painters from every part of India
and abroad. It is believed that he had an album of portraits.
Eminent painters during his reign included Mir Sayyad Ali, Abdus
Samad, Daswant, Basawan, Tara Chand, Jagannath and Sanwal
Das.
Naldaman, Ramayana, Zafarnama, Razmanamah, Chingiznama and
Kalyadaman were illustrated during his tenure.

Mughal School of Painting during Jahangir

He gave great impetus to painting. He was himself a prudent
collector, an enthusiast and an art critic. It was during his time
when the Miniature paintings reached the pinnacle of glory.
Celebrated painters of his time included Mohammad Nadir,
Manohar, Farrukh Beg, Keshav Brothers, Aqa Riza, Bishan Das,
Ustad Mansur and Madhav.
Flowers, birds, animals, natural objects and buildings were the most
preferred subjects of paintings.
Characteristics of paintings of this time included predominance of
realism. In the then portrait studies, real human beings were
illustrated rather than imaginary figures. Strict Purdah system of
those times makes the existence of portrait of royal ladies doubtful.
Paints and pigments used in paintings were carefully chosen and
tastefully employed. Red, golden, green, silvery white and blue
were most common hues of paintings. Paintings were also mounted
and embellished with a creative foliated border.

Mughal School of Painting during Shah Jahan

Painting didnt receive much encouragement during his reign as he
was more towards architecture. Anupa Chitra, Mir Hasan and
Chintamani were among the few notable painters. At this time Dara
Shikoh and Asaf Khan patronized painting.
Mughal School of Painting during Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb also didnt give momentum to painting. Under the
patronage of nobles or on their own, painters continued the legacy
of painting.
Today Mughal School of Paintings has been appreciated all over the
globe. They have made their own recognition and place in
museums as far flung as the San Diego Museum of Art and Victoria
and Albert Museum, London. Mughal School of paintings bended
many elements. These paintings have given a new dimension to
paintings.

http://www.itasveer.com/artsmart/articles/various-schools-of-indianpainting/mughal-school-of-painting

The Persian master artists Abdus Samad and Mir Sayid Ali,
who had accompanied Humayun to India, were in charge of
the imperial atelier during the early formative stages of
Mughal painting, but large numbers of artists worked on
large commissions, the majority of them apparently Hindu,
to judge by the names recorded.
Mughal painting flourished during the late 16th and early
17th centuries with spectacular works of art by master
artists such as Basawan, Lal, Miskin, Kesu Das, and
Daswanth.

AKBAR HUNTING IN AN
ENCLOSURE
1586 1589
ARTISTS: Miskina and Mansur
This illustration from the
Akbarnama is the left-hand
side of a double page
composition (the other half
is IS.2:55-1896) depicting
Akbar taking part in a
qamargah. This is a
spectacular hunt whereby
the game is driven towards
the centre of a ten mile
circular area so that the
emperor and his entourage
could hunt and kill the
animals. It is one of the
finest hunting scenes in the
V&A Akbarnama paintings
and features the early work
of the artist Mansur, who

Jehangir Holding The Globe

Painting of Inayat Khan dying, ca. 1618

Red-Headed Vulture and Long-Billed

Vulture: Leaf from the Shah Jahan
Album,
Mughal, period of Jahangir (160527), ca.
161520
By Mansur
India
A red-headed
Ink, opaque
watercolor,vulture,
and gold on paper
set in profile, is perched
on a craggy
outcropping. Beside it
stands the long-billed
vulture, seemingly
floating against a wash
of brown. Both loom
large against a
conventional
background of rocks and
sky. Bands of calligraphy
set in cloud like
cartouches span the top
and bottom of the
painting, which is set
within a sumptuous

Bust painting of Nurjahan

1725

Portraits Of Jahangir And Shah Jahan

1628
Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on pape

Portraits Of Jahangir And Shah Jahan

Framed within elaborately painted and illuminated borders and mounted on an album
page filled with vegetal design in gold, these portraits of two of the greatest Mughal
emperors illustrate the contrast in the artistic conventions under each of their reigns. The
painted bust of Jahangir (r. 1605-27 CE), the fourth ruler of the dynasty and the son of
Akbar (r. 1556-1605 CE), represents the miniature portraits that became fashionable for
important figures to wear during this emperors reign. The trend began after 1615 CE,
when miniature portraits were introduced to India from England by Sir Thomas Roe (Welch
and Welch 1982, p. 215; Canby 1998, p. 143). The artistic style under Jahangir is well
represented by the artist Balchand, known for his ability to capture the more emotional
and human qualities of subjects in his paintings (Welch and Welch 1982, p. 215).
Balchand identifies himself through a Persian inscription on Jahangirs left shoulder:
rasm-i [the drawing of] Balchand. The portrait of Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58 CE), Jahangirs
son and successor, provides a stark contrast to the image of his father. While both sitters
are shown in profile view and are illuminated by the golden halo around their heads, the
standard convention for representing Mughal emperors, Shah Jahans larger, oval-shaped
portrait commands a more public viewing audience. The illustration of the later emperors
torso allows the artist to show Shah Jahan holding attributes that symbolize his power,
such as his sword and the official seal in his hand. The seal inscription, deliberately made
legible (in reverse mirror image) for the viewer, lists the emperors titles: Abul-Muzaffar
Muhammad Shihab al-Din Shah Jahan Padshah-i Ghazi Sahib Qiran-i Thani 1. Sheila
Canby has suggested that the last title, Sahib Qiran-i Thani (the Second Lord of the
Astral conjunction), refers to Timur (r. 1370-1405 CE), the founder of the Timurid dynasty
from which the Mughals were descended (Canby 1998, p. 143). This connection to the
greatest Timurid ruler would have helped Shah Jahan legitimise his right to the throne
following his fathers death. The iconic, idealized courtly style of Shah Jahans era is
already apparent at the start of his reign; the painting is signed and dated in the first year
of the emperors rule to the left of the portrait by Nadir al-Zaman, known as Abul-Hasan:
It was painted at the beginning of the blessed ascension / Presented for the appraisal of
the most pure / the work of the humblest of servants, Nadir al-Zaman. The emperor is
shown in strict profile, staring blankly ahead while covered in precious, easily identified
jewels. In contrast to the naturalistic rendering of his father, whose facial features are
carefully modelled and suggest a three-dimensional appearance, Shah Jahans image has
become iconic and creates a greater distance between the viewer and the sitter. These

Portrait Of Bahadur shah

1840

A. R. CHUGHTAI (1897 1975)