‘Art has no religion or cast, it transcends all barriers’. Hindustan(then) has had multiple foreign
powers ruling that have left behind their artistic and cultural heritage. In this regard, the Mughals
from Persia established their reign in Central and North-Western part of India in late 1300 A.D. The
prolific artistic construction in terms of architecture, illustrations, painting that was patronised by
Akbar is staggering and monumental. Their artistic lineage was amalgamated with the then ongoing
artistic traditions in regions like Rajasthan that were Hindu in philosophy and belief. The Mewar
region in Rajasthan depicted scenes from texts like Rasikapriya, Mahabharat and so on. With the
invasion of the Mughals, the miniature style was infused in their artistic practice and hence there was
a cultural fusion that led to flourishing of the visual arts. The rich miniature style entailed detailed
floral motifs and recurring patterns, with the vibrancy of colour being exuded and it demanded the
spectator to take a closer look.
Today, we derive pleasure in discussing the aesthetics of this rich artistic style but was it really that
beautiful for artisans then? Was their artistic process intriguing as we imagine it to be? Did free-will of
an artist really exist or was he functioning under some sort of pressure? If one inquires into the process
of art making these artisans or craftsmen created works commissioned by their masters or Emperors
and functioned merely to glorify them. The images and the grandiose architecture were a means to
express power over their contending rulers who tried to destabilise the existing rule. The decorative
arts as we may call it initially began as illustrations to convey the message of God. The depictions were
solely religious in purpose and these illuminated manuscripts were a combination of diverse art forms
like calligraphy, story-telling and painting.
In contemporary times there are few who carry on this artistic lineage in their practice, especially
in India. Abinindranath Tagore could be regarded as the first modernist painter from Bengal school
who revisited the rich miniature tradition to find a protesting language against the colonial rule. He set
the trend followed by other artists like Nandalal Bose, Ghulam Sheikh, Manjit Bawa, Neelima Sheikh,
K.G. Subramanyam, A.R. Chughtai, and Arpana Caur. Amidst the young artists who have infused
miniature stylistics in their artistic practice includes Anindita, Waswo and Poushali Das.
The aesthetics and the context in which this decorative art emerged is quite contradictory and
fascinating at the same time. The miniature style is an endangered artistic style of Islamic tradition
due to postmodern infiltrations or the idea of revisiting and interpreting tradition seems drab to young
artists today. Lahore College of Arts is the only college in the world to have taught the miniature
painting but it is still lacking in resources. There has been no research being undertaken regarding the
evolution of miniature painting during the 20th century. In the seventies there was a vulgarisation
of the miniature image taking place via popular media and commodities such as calendars, post card
cushion covers and advertisements. These modes of expression normally enthuse young people today
as they can connect with it and use it in their daily lives.
We have tried to approach the miniature style from diverse perspectives and attempted to analyse
its significance today. There are myriad contemporary approaches to the century old tradition that
seems so be undermined and very few have been able to retain the essence of this style.
Our endeavour is to bring to fore issues concerning the rich artistic and cultural heritage of this
land and in a way to document them for future generations to read.
Siddhartha Tagore