Mughal Painting - The History

Mughal Painting was a form of South Asian Art, which originated and flourished during the Mughal Empire in India, from the sixteenth through the nineteenth century A.D. With Persian Miniature Art being the primary inspiration, Hindu, Jain, Islamic, and Buddhist sects also influenced it.

When Mughal Emperor Humayun (1508-56, ruled 1530-40, 1555-56) came back to India after serving his exile in Persia, he brought with him two accomplished Persian artists Abdus Samad and Mir Sayyid Ali. With time, the dominant Persian style of these painters began assimilating the essence of Indian genres to develop a new and distinctive art style. This form, in turn, became a defining influence on the other Indian genres like Rajput Painting.

The Details

Ornate executions with bright vibrant colors and flamboyant depictions often dominated Mughal Paintings. However, the coverage of Mughal artists was usually concentrated on realistic and contemporary subjects. In India, Mughal Paintings mainly centered on subjects, like wars, court scenes, receptions, mythologies & epics, fables, hunting scenes, nature, and portraits.

Mughal Art thrived mainly in the regimes of Indian Mughal rulers Akbar (1542-1605, ruled 1556-1605), Jahangir (1569-1627, ruled 1605-27), and Shah Jahan (1592-1666, ruled 1628-58). It continued to grow and transform on the royal dictum under these rules. For instance, the period under Jahangir witnessed a refinement in Mughal Painting, with soothing color schemes, finer brushstrokes, and smoother finish. This was explained by his appreciation of Western Painting styles and Realism. The popular subjects of those times were Jahangir's own life history, flora & fauna, and portraits, among others. Shah Jahan promoted a comparatively more rigid form of art, concentrating on amorous themes, music & artists, athletes, bonfires etc. The reign of Aurangzeb marked the decline of Mughal Painting, which was eventually left in the state of oblivion. Mughal Painting is still alive and finds an important place in modern India. Today, it is prevalent mainly in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.

The Artworks

Huge collections of some of the timeless pieces from the Mughal Art at treasured at the Victoria and Albert Museums in London. Among the finest of Mughal Painting was 'Princess of the House of Timur,' which was recreated on many occasions by various artists. Another Mughal masterwork was a series of almost 250 miniatures titled Tutinama ('Tales of a Parrot'). They are currently placed at Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio and partially at the British Library. Emperor Akbar, in the sixteenth century A.D., commissioned it. It is a collection of 52 tales, a parrot told to its owner, Khojasta.

The Artists

Some of the prominent names in the field of Modern Mughal Art are Rafi Uddin, Saif Uddin, Tilak Gitai, Kaluram Panchal, Mohammed Usman & Mohammed Luqman, Ram Gopal Vijayvargiya, Gopal Kamawat, Kishan Mali Sharma, Ved Pal Sharma, Kailash Raj, and the Joshi family.