Miniature Painting India

Miniature Painting India

If there was ever a form of South Asian Art that was the very essence of masterful...sensuality...and brilliant style it is Mughal Painting. You see, all throughout the sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Mughal Art thrived and flourished. Inspired by Persian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain styles, miniature painting rose quickly as a dominant art form that eventually helped to shape several other Indian Art genres such as Rajput Painting. Because of the attraction to painting realistic subjects during the Mughal Empire in India, you'll find that this distinctive art style is amazing and timeless. That said, continue reading to learn more about the rich history of Mughal Indian Paintings, well executed details, places to find artworks and who the prominent artists are.

As you gaze over the glorious styles of Mughal Miniature Paintings, you'll be in awe of the way India's Medieval history is vividly drawn. This form of art gained popularity and prominence during the Mughal Dynasty when Emperor Akbar ruled the nation. To capture Mughal architecture, artists were given the creative freedom to choose any theme and subject that moved them. Furthermore, Mughal artists were not restricted to a certain religion (the emperors were Muslims). Artists were free to paint whatever and whomever inspired them. With that in mind, because the emperors and kings sponsored several of the artists, Indian Mughal Painting most often characterized the lives of the wealthy and royalty.

Chances are, the Mughal Paintings you'll come across will describe people living in luxury and full of energy and vitality. Not only will you find the royals and the wealthy showcased, but warriors as well. Several of the pieces created during this era were characteristic of men who fought in battles...on elephants or horses...proudly defending their homeland. The very essence of Indian Mughal Paintings revolved around wars, brilliant colors, realistic nature, flamboyant court scenes, receptions and fables just to name a few. Self portraits were also extremely popular among Indian Mughal rulers. The very first Mughal Emperor Babur, had his life, including the wars he fought and won, painted in Miniature Paintings.

Needless to say, Mughal Painting still thrives and flourishes in modern India. Matter of fact, it is highly prevalent in the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur. If you live in the United Kingdom, you can view an immense collection of classic Mughal Art on display at the Victoria and Albert Museums located in London. By the same token, when in the United States, you can get a first hand look at nearly 250 miniature paintings called Tutinama, placed at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio. A few of the most outstanding and talented artists in the field of Mughal Painting are the Joshi family, Saif Uddin, Ram Gopal Vijayvargiya, and Tilak Gitai. However, these names are just the tip of the iceberg. There are at least a dozen more Indian Mughal Artists who have designed or recreated timeless pieces that are absolutely breath taking. Explore more of the sophisticated, vivacious, rich lining work of Mughal Painting online. Make no mistake about it, this art form will be completely awe inspiring.

Dinesh Saigal is proprietor of http://www.indiart.com where you can experience Mughal Paintings and other fine Indian art online. It is the charter of this site to proliferate and keep alive the ancient tradition of Indian miniature paintings.

Can you help me remember the symbolism in my Indian Miniature Painting from Rajasthan?

I spent the summer in the state of Rajasthan, India. When I was in Udaipur, I purchased a miniature painting that has a series of animals on it:
A horse/stallion
An elephant
A camel
A peacock
A tiger
A cow

When I purchased it, the artist told me that each animal symbolized something in particular. I wrote it down, but have lost my notebook from my trip.

What I remember is the following -- can someone confirm and help me fill in the missing blanks?

Horse = ?
Elephant = ?
Camel = ?
Peacock = Education, or beauty
Tiger = courage
Cow = spirituality/religion

I am giving this as a gift to someone, and would like to remember what all of the items are so I can write it in the card!

Thanks.

check out http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/essays/animals.aspthis

i am sure it will help