Mughal painting

Mughal painting is a beautiful style of small paintings that started during the Mughal period in the Indian subcontinent. These paintings were used to show scenes from books or as special pieces kept in albums. They began from Persian miniature painting, which also had influences from Chinese art, and grew in the courts of the Mughal emperors from the 16th to 18th centuries.

These paintings show many interesting things like battles, famous stories, hunting, animals, plants, and life in royal courts. The Mughal emperors liked to show real people in their paintings more than Persian artists did. They also enjoyed painting animals and plants in a very lifelike way.

Mughal painting later spread to other places in India, including both Muslim and Hindu courts, and even Sikh courts. In northern India, new styles grew from this art, mixing Persian and Indian ideas in wonderful ways.

Subjects

Mughal painting often showed realistic pictures of people, usually in profile. Early portraits focused on men, sometimes with women nearby. Later, scenes of lovers and holy people became popular.

The emperors, like Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan, were often painted. They were shown on horseback or in formal settings. They were shown receiving visitors or in public displays. Artists also painted detailed pictures of animals and plants.

Many books were illustrated with these paintings, including stories and biographies. Akbar’s Hamzanama had many miniatures, telling exciting tales. Other books included memoirs and poetic works, all decorated with art.

Main article: Persian miniature

Main articles: Jahanara Begum , Mumtaz Mahal , Dara Shikoh , Riza Abbasi

Further information: Baburnama , Ustad Mansur , Milo C. Beach , Cleveland Museum of Art , Tutinama , Akbar's Hamzanama , Muhammad , Mughal dynasty , Chaghtai Turkic , Akbarnama , Tuzk-e-Jahangiri , Shah Jahan , Padshahnama , Zafarnama , Timur , Gulbadan Begum , Humayun Nama , Persian poetry , Razmnama , Mahabharata , Ramayana , Bhagavata Purana , Harivamsa , Panchatantra

Further information: Jharokha Darshan , halos , iconography , Allah , in durbar , Rajput painting

Origins

Mughal painting began as a way to make beautiful small pictures. These pictures often showed scenes from books or were kept in special albums. It started in the courts of the Mughal Empire from the 16th to 18th centuries. The style came from Persia and India.

These paintings showed many things, like battles, stories from legends, animals, and life in royal homes.

Artists in the Mughal courts worked together. Some drew the main lines and others added colors. They tried to make realistic pictures, especially of people and animals. This made their work special compared to older styles. No paintings from the first Mughal ruler, Babur, have survived. Later rulers like Akbar added their own touches, showing new animals and places they found in India.

Development

The great time for Mughal painting was during the rules of Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan, lasting more than a century.

Mughal painting started when Humayun saw Persian art in Tabriz. He brought skilled artists to India. Under Akbar, the style grew quickly. Artists worked on big projects like the Tutinama and the Hamzanama, mixing Persian styles with new ideas. Jahangir used softer colors and finer details, and liked paintings of nature and events from his life. Shah Jahan made paintings of the royal court, focusing on the emperor and important people.

Later paintings

Aurangzeb (1658–1707) did not support painting much because of his religious beliefs. After 1668, he stopped asking for new paintings and later moved to the Deccan to focus on his battles.

Even though Mughal painting began to decline, some very beautiful works were still made. Later, during the rule of Muhammad Shah (1719–1748), there was a small comeback. But by the time of Shah Alam II (1759–1806), this style of art had lost its shine. New styles of Indian painting grew in places like the Rajputana courts and areas ruled by the British East India Company, such as the Company style.

Many famous museums around the world have important collections of these paintings, including the National Museum of India, the Rampur Raza Library, the Indian Museum, the British Library, the Walters Art Museum, the National Museum of Asian Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, the San Diego Museum of Art, and the Royal Collection Trust.

Artists

Many talented artists helped create beautiful Mughal paintings. Some came from Persia, like Abd al-Samad and Mir Musavvir, while others were from India. Women artists also helped with important projects. Artists worked in teams. One person planned the picture, another painted it, and sometimes a third focused on faces.

Important artists included Farrukh Beg, who came from Persia, and Daswanth, who helped paint big books about old stories. Ustad Mansur was famous for painting animals, while Abu al-Hasan created special pictures for the emperor. These artists made Mughal paintings colorful and full of life, showing scenes from history, nature, and everyday life.

Mughal style today

Mughal-style miniature paintings are still made today by some artists in Lahore, especially at the National College of Arts. Many of these new paintings look like old ones, but some artists make modern works using the same old ways.

The skills to make these paintings are passed down from one generation to the next. Some artists work with many helpers to make paintings that carry the artist’s name.