Test: The Mughal School of Miniature Painting- 1 - Humanities/Arts MCQ

The text states that Mughal painting is known for its "sophisticated techniques and diverse range of subjects and themes".

The text states that the "distinctive character" of Mughal art was its "assimilating and engaging artists of both Indian and Iranian origins, who contributed towards making, and further elevating the artistic paradigm of the Mughal style".

The text states that the Mughal atelier consisted of "calligraphers, painters, gilders and binders" and that the paintings were "a part of manuscripts and albums".

The text states that the Mughal style of painting was responsible for the "amalgamation of indigenous themes and styles along with Persian and later European themes and styles" and that it presented a "highly sophisticated blend of the Islamic, Hindu and European visual culture and aesthetics".

Humayun established the Nigaar Khana (painting workshop) which was also a part of his library. This indicates Humayun’s interest in building an artistic repertoire and an imperial atelier.

Bihzad was a master artist from the Persian school of painting, Herat (now in present day Afghanistan), and was known for his sophisticated compositions and color tints. Babur, the first Mughal emperor, was known to have a keen eye for portraiture and Bihzad is one of the artists who found mention in his memoirs.

Babur was succeeded by his son Humayun in 1530. Humayun fell prey to political unrest, and his life took many unexpected turns. However, it was during his exile in Shah Tahmasp’s court that Humayun witnessed the magnificent artistic tradition of miniature paintings and manuscripts. With the assistance of Shah Tahmasp, Humayun established his court in Kabul in 1545, and he was impressed by the artists and had an ambition to recreate such art workshops in India.

Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd us Samad supervised the completion of Hamza Nama project. It consisted of 14 volumes with 1400 illustrations and took nearly 15 years to be completed.

Under Akbar’s patronage, Mughal paintings depicted a variety of subjects including detailed political conquests, seminal court scenes, secular texts, portraits of important men, Hindu mythologies, Persian and Islamic themes.

Akbar formalised the Mughal miniature style and set standards, which were further taken to new heights by his son Jahangir.

In contrast to Akbar’s atelier, where the works were mass-produced, Jahangir’s atelier gave preference to a lesser number and better quality of artworks produced by a single master artist. The Muraqqas individual paintings to be mounted in albums became popular under Jahangir’s patronage.

Due to the new political environment, unsettled regional kingdoms, and the threat of English ascendancy, the Mughal miniature style declined gradually.

Sheets of handmade paper were prepared and cut to suit the size of the manuscript. Designated space was left for the artist to fill it with a suitable visual composition. Then, the pages were ruled and filled with text.

The colours were opaque and were obtained from natural sources by grinding and mixing pigments to obtain perfect shades of colours.

Once the painting was complete, agate, a gemstone, was used to burnish the work to set the colours and give desired radiance to the painting.