FROM PERSIA TO KABUL TO LAHORE THE EVOLUTION OF MUGHAL PAINTING; FASCINATING FIRST MUGHAL WORK OF 1555 DONE BY MASTERS UNKNOWN.

FROM PERSIA TO KABUL TO LAHORE THE EVOLUTION OF MUGHAL PAINTING;
FASCINATING FIRST MUGHAL WORK OF 1555 DONE BY MASTERS UNKNOWN.

M.A. Rahman Chughtai was not merely an artist and etcher. He was also a collector and scholar, and had deep insight on World painting, Islamic painting, as well as painting in our region. The exceptional art works of Central Asia done in Ajanta and Ellora are well known, but then there is silence of nearly 800 years. Certainly, some works were done under the Sultanates, and scholars like Dr Abdullah Chaghatai and Dr Richard Ettinghausen have written about same. But the real swing started with Emperor Humayoun convincing a group of exceptional Paint Masters to come back with him to India. And most of them did. The main two were Mir Sayyed Ali and Khawaja Abdus Samad. And the very initial miniatures were probably made in Kabul and then moved on to the city of Lahore. Lahore became the center of Cultural revolution. In real terms Emperor Akbar set the school of art in motion (he himself got training in same), and about 55 Masters were put on the task of Dastan Amir Hamza, Not only that Akbar send batches of Indian students to Kabul and other places for training in the arts, and created many Hindu Artists of those times. Lahore even today has lanes named after major artists of  those times.

A torn painting on cloth and in huge size was discovered at the turn of 19th century. It had set people talking and scholars have poured in their opinion about the work. Initially Stanley Clark, Laurence Binyon, Basil Gray and others gave their opinion. Chughtai Sahib also contributed in that dialogue by publishing a book the HOUSE OF TAIMUR and adding the name of the painter Mirza Farrukh Baig to the list of  contenders for this painting. Obviously it is a specialized subject but our blog is meant to highlight such things. The numerous details are not possible in a short write up on the subject. Read about Prince Kamran too:

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