Learning Objective
- Influences on Mughal Painting
- Early Mughal Painting
- Later Mughal Painting
- Process of Mughal Painting
- Colours and Technique of Mughal Painting
Influences on Mughal Painting
- The Mughal miniature painting style blended Indian, Persian, and European influences, creating a sophisticated artistic tradition.
- Fostered by Mughal patrons who integrated Indian and Iranian artists, this style evolved through interactions with pre-Mughal and Persian art, resulting in a unique visual language that reflected diverse cultures and philosophies.
Early Mughal Painting
- In 1526, Babur, the first Mughal emperor, arrived in India from Uzbekistan, blending Persian, Central Asian, and Indian traditions.
- His son, Humayun, brought Persian miniature painting to India after exile at the Safavid court, inviting artists Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd us Samad to establish a painting workshop.
- This led to the Mughal miniature tradition, with the Hamza Nama, initiated by Humayun and completed under Akbar, being a key project.
- Akbar (1556–1605) expanded this tradition, blending Persian and Indian styles in illustrated texts like the Razm Nama (a Persian Mahabharata) and the Ramayana.
- European influences also emerged in works like Madonna and Child. Jahangir (1605–1627) refined Mughal painting, focusing on nature and merging Persian, Indian, and European styles, as seen in Jahangir’s Dream.
- Shah Jahan (1628–1658) elevated Mughal art to new heights with intricate, jewel-like colors, epitomized in the Padshahnama manuscript.
- Though the royal atelier declined under Aurangzeb, Mughal painting’s influence endured, even inspiring European artists like Rembrandt.
Later Mughal Painting
- As Mughal patronage waned, artists moved to provincial courts, where rulers sought to replicate the grandeur of Mughal art.
- While a few notable works emerged under later rulers like Muhammad Shah Rangila and Bahadur Shah Zafar, these marked the final phase of the Mughal miniature tradition.
- After the 1857 revolt and Zafar’s exile, Mughal painting merged with provincial and Company School styles, adapting to new patrons’ tastes.
Process of Mughal Painting
- Mughal miniatures were often part of manuscripts and royal albums, where text and visuals shared the page.
- The process began with handmade paper, cut to manuscript size, with designated spaces for the artist.
- After the text was written, the artist would create a visual composition, from sketching (tarh) to portraiture (chiharanama), and finally, coloring (rangamizi).
Colours and Technique of Mughal Painting
- Mughal painters were skilled in preparing colors from natural sources, grinding pigments to create perfect shades.
- The opaque paints were applied using brushes made from squirrel or kitten hair.
- Painting was often a collaborative effort in the atelier, with artists specializing in different stages like drafting, coloring, and detailing. Completed works were burnished with agate for a radiant finish.
- Pigments included vermilion from cinnabar, ultramarine from lapis lazuli, yellow from orpiment, and lampblack from charcoal, with gold and silver added for extra opulence.