Mughal Empire Art Exhibit

 In this blog post I will be featuring three separate traditional Indian art pieces from the time period of the Mughal empire. This era ranged from the late medieval to to the early colonial era, from the years 1526 to 1757. 

Umar Defeats a Dragon, Daswanth, India

The exact date this piece, by Daswanth, was finished is unknown, however it is believed that it was completed between the dates of 1582 and 1584. This painting is a page from a Mughal illuminated manuscript that details a section of the Hamzanama. An illuminated manuscript is essentially a formal document with flourishes and illustrations that go with the text. These manuscripts can cover a wide range of subjects. In this case, the Hamzanama is a Persian epic detailing the exploits of a warrior named Hamza.

I selected this work as it really stood out to me with the vibrant colors used and how 'alive' it looks. From what I have gathered, the artist Daswanth's works feature this chaotic style. One thing that really stands out to me is the contrast of color used. The dark colors of the land contrast with the white gold and blue colors of the dragon, as well as the bright colors of Umar.

Jain Ascetic Walking Along a Riverbank, Basawan, 1600 India

Basawan was a very prominent artist during the time of the Mughal Empire. He is credited on over 100 works. Basawan did most of his works in collaboration. He would be attributed to the design, while a second artist would be tasked with filling in the color. He was most active in the years between 1580 and 1600 making much work for manuscripts among other texts.

I chose this work because it was one of the seemingly most simplest and down to earth of Basawan's. Much of his art depicts royal court scenes and extravagant events, while this depicts a monk of the Jainism religion "walking along a riverbank'. Basawan's use of lines and shapes to portray the flowing light robe that the monk is wearing really inspires awe. One other thing that stands out to me is how the background of this piece is very simplistic putting more emphasis on very well detailed main subject, the monk.

The Birth of a Prince, Bishandas, 1610 India

There is not too much background available on the early life, of the artist, Bishandas. However there is much accounts of praise done by prominent figures of the time. He was widely regarded as one of the most skilled portrait painters of the time. He was even praised by the emperor, Jahangir, for his ability to "taking lifelessness". As a result of his popularity and praise he was sent to the Persian embassy to even paint portraits of the Shah (king) and other leading figures at the time. He also contributed to multiple manuscripts and other works during his time as an artist.

I chose this piece from Bishandas as it features many different individuals. While I can certainly see his skill in his other individual portraits, this work caught my eye for how vibrant and alive it felt. Many Mughal era artists appear to have a proficiency when it comes to painting very vibrant and busy pictures, and Bishandas is no exception to that. One thing that really stood out to me in this was the detail on the architecture. Specifially the tile on the second floor and the door arch on the first. I can also see natural patterns at play when it comes to the detailed tree. The final thing that stood out to me is how each individual person is all unique. There are no different faces and nobody is wearing the same thing. This just adds to how much Bishandas paid attention to details in his portraits. 

Works Cited

Manohar (2024) Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Manohar (Accessed: 25 April 2024).

Bishandas (no date) Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bishandas (Accessed: 25 April 2024).

Dasvant (no date) Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dasvant (Accessed: 25 April 2024).