Painting for the Mughal Emperor: The Art of the Book, 1560-1660 Book

This work provides a detailed survey of the Victoria and Albert's renowned collection of painting from the great age of the Mughals, covering the reigns of three emperors: Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. The book traces the evolution of the art of the Mughals. Their land, which they called Hindustan, was a conquered one, their language was Persian; they employed Hindu and Muslim artists and commissioned books and paintings with themes drawn from these cultural and religious traditions, and from Europe. This complex framework produced some of the finest court paintings ever seen in the Indian subcontinent. The book includes pictures from the first major project of the new Mughal studio, the epic adventures of the Muslim hero, Hamza; dramatic battles and episodes from the life of the emperor Akbar, the Akbarnama; and a remarkable series of portraits of the emperors, their sons, and leading members of the court from the early 17th century. Also included are portraits and studies of wild life by masters such as Mansur and Manohar. These were preserved in albums for Jahangir and Shah Jahan, Shah Jahan's artists adding exquisite floral borders, and both rulers vividly emphasising their ownership by writing occasional comments on the pages. A rich and sophisticated culture is mirrored in the paintings and explored in the accompanying text; the result is a book of both scholarship and beauty.Read More