Fine Arts Test - 3

The correct answer is Ustad Mansur.

Key Points

• Falcon on a Bird Rest:
  • The painting was made by Ustad Mansur.
  • He was given the title of Nadir ul Asr from Jahangir.
  • Jahangir was fond of falcons and had fine falcons brought to his collection, and as a keen connoisseur, he had them painted. 
  • The paintings were included in his official biography Jahangirnama. 
  • In the Jahangirnama, there is an interesting episode described by Jahangir of a falcon brought as a present from the Persian emperor Shah Abbas.
  • This is to do with the falcon, which was mauled by a cat, resulting in its death, and the Emperor desired his painters paint the dead falcon, preserving its memory for posterity. 

• Falcon Perched on a Bird Rest (1615)

Additional Information

• Miskin is attributed to the painting Krishna Lifts Mount Govardhan.
• Mir Jafar brought the painting of The Zebra from Ethiopia to the court of Jahangir.
• The marriage procession of Dara Shikoh was painted by Haji Madni.

The correct answer is Basavan.

Key Points

• Basavan, or Basvan, was an Indian Mughal miniature painter who flourished from 1580 to 1600.
• His contemporaries knew him as a superb colourist and astute observer of human character, as well as for his innovative use of portraiture in the drawings of Akbarnama, Mughal Emperor Akbar's Official Biography.
• He worked as a court painter under Akbar and was influenced by Abd al-Samad.
• Basawan is credited with around 100 works.
• His first appearance is in an illustrated edition of Tutinama.
• It is inspired by the European paintings brought to Akbar's court by Jesuit missionaries.
• Basawan was one of the earliest Indian artists to be interested in western techniques.

• The above picture depicts a Basawan art of Mughal Darbar.

Additional Information

• Bishandas was a portrait painter who worked at the court of Mughal emperor Jahangir in the 17th century.
• Fakir Ullah was a painter during Shahjahan’s reign.
• Ustad Mansur was a seventeenth-century Mughal painter and royal artist who lived from 1590 until 1624.
  • During the reign of Jahangir (r. 1605 - 1627).

The correct answer is Abul al Hassan.

Key Points

• Jahangir's Dream:
  • Abul al Hasan was a Mughal painter of miniatures in the reign of Jahangir.
  • This is Painted by Abul al Hassan who was given the title "Nadir al-Zaman" by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.
  • The painting refers to Emperor Jahangir's dream in which he was visited by Safavid Emperor Shah Abbas, his rival who possed the much-desired province of Kandahar.
  • In this painting, political fantasy takes over and the presence of Jahangir dominates the composition.
  • His rival Persian Shah seems vulnerable in this picture.

• Painting: Jahangir's Dream by  Abul al Hasan.

Additional Information

• Farrukh Beg:
  • Farrukh Beg is known as a Persian miniature painter, who spent the bulk of his career in Safavid Iran and Mughal India.
  • He was under the patronage of Mughal Emperor Jahangir. 
  • His work showed his distinct training in Persian manuscript painting, which later on evolved to include more experimental techniques such as atmospheric perspective and modelling.
  • Some of the notable artworks painted by him were: Babur Entertains in Sultan Ibrahim Lodi's Palace from a Baburnama, Shah Tahmasp in the mountains, The Maddona and Child etc.

• Maddona and Child painted by Farrukh Beg
• Mir Sayyid Ali: 
  • Mir Sayyid Ali was a Persian who was the son of the renowned artist of the Safavid school, Mir Musawwir of Soltaniyeh.
  • He was invited by the Mughal emperor Humayun.
  • He joined Humayun’s court with Khawaja Abdus Samad and raised the Mughal miniature art at his height.
  • Khamsa of Nizami and Laila Majnu are some of the main paintings of Mir Sayyed Ali.

• Khamsa of Nizami by Mir Sayyid Ali
• Abdus Samad:
  • Khwaja Abdus Samad was a skilled artist and a good calligrapher.
  • According to Ain-Akbari, he taught painting to Humayun and Akbar.
  • Later, Akbar recognized his talent and honoured him with the title Shirin Qalam.
  • From 1549 to 1555 he was doing illustration work in Humayun's court, most of which are preserved in the Imperial Library, Tehran.
  • The earliest known example of a Mughal painting, "Princes of the House of Timur" is attributed to Abdus Samad.
  • Among the  Hindu artists trained by Samad were Daswanth and Basavan who were great Mughal painters.

• Princes of the House of Timur by Abdus Samad.

The correct answer is Harivamsa.

Key Points

• Mughal Painting
  • Mughal painting is a style of miniature painting that developed in the northern Indian subcontinent in the sixteenth century and continued till the mid–nineteenth century.
  • Some masterworks were produced during the periods of Muhammad Shah Rangila, Shah Alam II, and  Bahadur Shah Zafar, these were mere last flickers in the candle that was the Mughal miniature style. 
  • The school is known for its sophisticated techniques and diverse range of subjects and themes.
  • The Mughal style of miniature painting was responsible for the amalgamation of indigenous themes and styles along with Persian and later European themes and styles.
  • The peak of Mughal painting presented a highly sophisticated blend of the Islamic, Hindu and European visual culture and aesthetics.
• Krishna Lifts Mount Govardhan:
  • Krishna Lifts Mount Govardhan from a dispersed Harivamsa Purana is attributed to Miskin (1585–90). 
  • Harivamsa Purana is one of the many Sanskrit manuscripts, which were translated into Persian by the Mughals.
  • The painting Krishna Lifts Mount Govardhan is based on a theme from Harivamsa.
  • Badauni who was a scholar noble in the court of Akbar, was assigned the job of translating the Harivamsa volume on Lord Krishna into Persian.
  • Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain with all creatures dwelling therein with the intention to protect them — the villagers and their livestock, who were his followers, from torrential rain sent by another powerful God Indra.
  • Hari uses the mountain like a huge umbrella, under which the entire village takes refuge. 

The correct answer is A-3,B-1,C-2,D-4

Key Points

• Mir Sayid Ali:
  • Humayun(1530-40 and 1555-56), the second Mughal emperor, took two renowned Persian artists – Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad – with him.
  • These Persian artists created several notable paintings, notably the 'Khamsa of Nizami,' based on Humayun's directions.
• Bishan Das:
  • Bishandas was a portrait painter who worked at the court of Mughal emperor Jahangir in the 17th century.
  • Bishandas was sent to Persia by Jahangir to paint the portrait of Shah Abbas of Persia and his family and he completed his work with full dedication.
• Bihzad:
  • 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 colour tints.
  • Bihzad's drawing precision and execution control were the hallmarks of 15th-century painting in Herat, Afghanistan.
  • Bihzad's most essential legacy is the perfection in pattern, calligraphy, and design, although following generations.
  • Babur used to call him Rafel of the East.
• Fakir Ulla:
  • Ustad Fakir - Ullah did this tempera painting on paper.
  • He was the head painter of Shah Jahan's Workshop.

The correct answer is Jahangir.

Key Points

Ustad Mansur

• Ustad Mansur was a seventeenth-century Mughal painter and royal artist who had an effect on Mughal Paintings from 1590 until 1624.
• Ustad Mansur grew up during the era of Jahangir (r. 1605 - 1627), and he excelled at depicting vegetation and animals during that time.
• Apart from being the first to paint the Siberian crane, he was the first to depict the dodo color.
• Towards the end of Akbar's reign, he was given the title of Ustad , and his masterpieces earned him the title of Nadir-al-'Asr during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir .
• He portrayed people in numerous manuscript illustrations while being most renowned for his natural history illustrations.

The correct answer is Bihzad.

Key Points

• Bihzad is regarded as one of the most important miniature painters in Islamic history. Babur has called him 'Raphael of the East'.
• His full name was Kamal-Ud-Din-bihzad.
• Bihzad's name has become synonymous with the great degree of artistic skill demonstrated by painters in today's Afghanistan and Iran during the reigns of the Timurids and, later, the Safavid dynasty.
• He developed a new style in which the structural or compositional context in which the figures are organized is based on geometry and architectural aspects.
• Bihzad's drawing precision and execution control were the hallmarks of 15th-century painting in Herat, Afghanistan.
• Bihzad's most essential legacy is the perfection in pattern, calligraphy, and design, although following generations.

• The construction of castle Khavarnaq in al-Hira, c. 1494 – 1495

Additional Information

• Abd al-Samad, also known as Khwaja Abdus Samad, was a Persian miniature painter who travelled to India in the 16th century and became one of the founding artists of the Mughal miniature style, as well as holding a number of prominent administrative positions. Samad's time under the Mughals, from around 1550 to 1595, is very well recorded, and a number of works from this period have been credited to him.
• Basavan was an Indian Mughal miniature painter who flourished from 1580 to 1600. His contemporaries knew him as a superb colourist and astute observer of human character, as well as for his innovative use of portraiture in the drawings of Akbarnama, Mughal Emperor Akbar's Official Biography.
• Daswanth or Dasavant (d. 1584) was a painter in the Mughal dynasty who worked for Akbar. Daswanth was a key figure in the creation of the Jaipur-based family of folk tales known as Razmanama, which is the Persian term for the Mahabharata, an Indian epic.

The correct answer is Humayun.

Key Points

•  When Humayun (1530-40 and 1555-56), the second Mughal emperor, returned from exile, he took two renowned Persian artists – Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad – with him.
• These Persian artists created several notable paintings, notably the 'Khamsa of Nizami,' based on Humayun's directions.
• These paintings strayed from traditional Persian art, resulting in the birth of a new art form known as 'Mughal Painting.'
• Subsequent Mughal kings expanded on the Mughal artworks.

Additional Information

• Under Abd as-Samad, Akbar learned the nuances of arts and paintings, and he fostered and supported art.
• The Mughal painting progressed and developed at a remarkable speed throughout Akbar's reign.
• Jahangir, too, showed an interest in the arts, which aided the development of Mughal art.
• During Jahangir's reign, Mughal painting advanced and expanded at a breakneck pace.
• During Shah Jahan's reign, Mughal painting continued to flourish, but the paintings shown at the court became increasingly stiff and formal. 

The correct answer is Bichitr.

Key Points

•  Dara Shikoh with Sages in the Garden:
  • This is painted by Indian painter Bichitr during the Mughal period who was patronized by the emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Bichitr was influenced by European artwork who incorporated shadows, western perspective and putti into the Mughal paintings.
  • As a  legitimate successor of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, his son Dara Shikoh was denied his empire and life. He was a liberal unorthodox Mughal ho was committed to Sufi mysticism and a deep interest in the Vedantic school of thought.  His persona has been immortalised in this exceptional painting where he is sitting with, many sages in a garden discussing their common interests.

• Painting: Dara Shikoh with Sages in the Garden

Additional Information

•  Fakir Ulla:
  • He was the head painter of Shah Jahan's workshop.
  • His artwork "Kabir and Ruidas" is one of his most celebrated paintings.

• Kabir and Ruidas by Fakir Ulla
•  Mir Hashim:
  • ​Hashim was a Deccani painter specializing in portraits who moved to the Mughal court in 1620.
  • While his use of strong contours and choice of colour palette remained constant, under Jahangir’s direction Hashim’s rendering of facial features evolved dramatically.
  • Notable works: Portrait of Mulla Mohammad Khan Valli of Bijapur, Portrait of Jadun Rai Deccani, Portrait of Ibrahim Adil Shah  II of Bijapur etc.

• Portrait of Ibrahim Adil Shah II by Hashim.
• Murar:
  • He was also one of the prominent painters in the court of Shah Jahan.
  • Some of his notable works include: Shah Jahan and Prince Dara Shikoh, Manohar, Shah Suja departs for Kabul, Jahangir receives Prince Khurram on his return from the Deccan, Portrait of Dara Shikoh etc.

• "Jahangir receives Prince Khurram on his return from the Deccan" by Murar

The correct answer is Hamzanama.

Key Points

• The Hamzanama is based on a story that has been passed down through generations.
• It narrates the story of Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib (c. 569–625), Muhammad's uncle (c. 570–632).
• Hamza, the historical figure, was first opposed to Islam until converting in 615 and becoming one of its most fervent supporters.
• Over the decades, historical truths were embellished with a variety of imaginary incidents.
• The Hamzanama stories are about Muslims fighting "infidels" and attempting to convert them, as well as legendary sorcerers, demons, and fairies, daring heroes, strong heroines, and mischievous spies.

• The above picture depicts "The Spy Zanbur Bringing Mahiyya to the City of Tawariq", from Akbar's copy.

Additional Information

• The Razmnama (Book of War), commissioned by Mughal Emperor Akbar, is a Persian translation of the Hindu epic poem Mahabharata.
• The Akbarnama, or Book of Akbar, is the official chronicle of Akbar, the third Mughal Emperor (1556–1605), commissioned by Akbar himself and authored by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, his court historian, and biographer. It was written in the Persian language.
• The autobiography of Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1569–1627) is known as Tuzuk-e-Jahangiri.
  • Tuzuk-e-Jahangiri, also known as Jahangirnama, is written in Persian.