Collection Of Four Framed Indian And Persian Miniature Paintings

This Mughal miniature was painted at one of the princely courts of India. It depicts a raven-haired princess in a gold-trimmed saffron-colored silk sari. Under a glowering evening sky she dawdles on a white marble terrace, with a pet fawn on a leash, before a landscape dotted with buildings nestled amongst trees beyond a river. Her hair, falling loosely about her shoulders, rather than carefully dressed on her head, indicates that she is a maiden. The overall mood is one of expectancy. Perhaps walking a pet and catching an evening breeze is a pretext to escape palace scrutiny for a lovers’ assignation. In Mughal India tender sentiments were a bridge to the erotic – and if this seems contradictory, so too is the balance of realism and caricature, and naturalism with the schematic. Both are hallmarks of miniatures painted in this place and time. The earliest Mughal Indian miniatures date to the 16th century. They were inspired by those painted at the refined Moslem courts of the neighboring Persian empire. They incorporated figures in spite of the Moslem faith’s proscription against depicting the human form. Such was the nature of sophisticated courtly life everywhere that beauty and pleasure trumped systems of morality. This was no less the case at the provincial Indian courts, where our miniature, marked by a charming pictorial naiveté, was most likely painted. Yet the artist was undeniably accomplished. His command of perspective, introduced by Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century, is seen in the landscape, which rolls back to a distant horizon, contrary to the flat two-dimensional ones following Indian-painting traditions. And if Mughal artists were influenced by Western art, the compliment was returned by Rembrandt and Sir Joshua Reynolds, among others, who collected Indian miniatures (as did, perhaps, Giovanni Bellini who painted in Mughal style the famous miniature of a Persian man...

A magnificent large traditional Indian gouache painting of a royal horse on silk. This Rajasthani piece is unique in that it is very large. We typically ...

A finely rendered opaque watercolor on wasli depicting a seated scholar reading beneath a floral border, in subdued tones with touches of gold. Mughal. Framed under glass. OS: 20 ...

Indian, 18th or early 19th century. This exquisite 18th-century Mughal School miniature painting is a masterful example of the rich artistic tradition that flourished under the Mugh...

This 19th-century Indian miniature painting is composed in the Mughal style and depicts a meeting of the Hindu god Krishna and his shakti Radha, also known as the Supreme Goddess. To...

An antique Indian Mughal Empire miniature painting, executed in pigments and embellished with gold paint on paper, portrays a raja in the company of nobles. These Mughal miniatures are celebrated for their meticulous detail, vibrant colors, and the use of gold accents to enhance the opulence of the scene. In this artwork, the raja is surrounded by nobles, creating a visual representation of the royal court and highlighting the regal splendor of the Mughal Empire. Dates to the early 19th century. Matted and framed. Antique Indian Paintings...

An antique Indian Mughal Empire miniature painting executed in gouache and embellished with gold on paper, portrays a captivating court scene wherein a ruler engages with nobles. The...

The painting is H 5.25 x W 4 Lands cape with female character in a peaceful garden

A fabulous piece of hand-painted Folk Art created in India. This painting depicts a traditional Rajasthani man in traditional dress. He wears a decorative yellow and pink dress and s...

A set of antique late 19th-century Indian minitature paintings. Watercolor on paper. Company school. A total of 12 items. The artworks depict scenes of everyday life. White mat, buck...