Interpreting Mughal Painting: Essays on Art, Society, and Culture

Lucid, detailed, and original, these essays on Mughal painting survey this art form as well as provide an introduction to the Mughal art of book-illustration, portraiture, and genre pictures. They showcase the Mughal artistes concern for both aesthetic appeal and intellectual message.

Focusing on the origin and development of Mughal painting, S.P. Verma analyses key aspects like artistes signatures, namesakes and their identity, and the evidence on self portrait painting in Indian art. He highlights the impact of Persian influence and Renaissance humanism on Mughal painting. Using pictorial evidence, the author also investigates areas like technology and firearms, flora and fauna, and ordinary day-to-day life during the Mughal period.

What sets this book apart from the rest in the genre is the rich detail and intensive research characterized in discussions on distinctions between assignments, signatures, and later attributions in inscriptions on paintings; meticulous study of painting technique; and the use of painting as a historical source for reconstruction of social life and technological advancements. Using diverse sources–Persian, Central Asian, European, and Indian–the author presents a rigorous yet stimulating account of Mughal art.