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The Painted Image (3) (Artists in India (Some were brought to the Mughal…
The Painted Image (3)
Use of Paintings in Manuscripts
Images described scenes in a visual form
blank spaces were left on the pages to be accompanied by a painting
the paintings were miniatures and could be passed around for viewing and mounting on the pages of the manuscript
paintings were believed to be able to enhance the beauty of a book
communicate ideas in a way that words could not
Abu'l Fazl described painting as a "magical art"- the power to make inanimate objects look as if they possessed life
Paintings - a source of tension
tension between rulers and the Muslim orthodoxy, the ulama.
Portrayal of human beings is prohibited in the Quran and the hadis, describing an incident from the life of Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad had forbidden the depiction of living beings in a naturalistic manner, as it would insult god saying we have the power of creation as well.
Interpretations of Sharia
Islamic Traditions' body was interpreted differently by different social groups
each group put forward an understanding that would best suit that political interests
Muslim rulers in many Asian regions regularly commissioned artists to paint their portraits and scenes of life in their kingdoms
e.g. Safavid rulers of Iran patronised finest artists. Painters such as Bihzad were responsible for the cultural fame of Safavid rulers war and wide
Artists in India
Many came from Iran
Some were brought to the Mughal Court
e.g. Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad
Others migrated in search of opportunities
The conflict about the paintings of human beings was a source of tension in the Mughal Court
Abu'l Fazl cites Akbar as saying that people who hate paintings are stupid. Since, when a painter paints humans he realise he has no power to bestow life on his paintings.
