Accounts of paintings produced during the Mughal dynasty (1526-1857) tend to trace a linear, "evolutionary" path and assert that, as European Renaissance prints reached and influenced Mughal artists, these artists abandoned a Persianate style in favor of a European one. Kavita Singh counters these accounts by demonstrating that Mughal painting did not follow a single arc of stylistic evolution. Instead, during the reigns of the emperors Akbar and Jahangir, Mughal painting underwent repeated cycles of adoption, rejection, and revival of both Persian and European styles. Singh's subtle and original analysis suggests that the adoption and rejection of these styles was motivated as much by aesthetic interest as by court politics. She contends that Mughal painters were purposely selective in their use of European elements. Stylistic influences from Europe informed some aspects of the paintings, including the depiction of clothing and faces, but the symbolism, allusive practices, and overall composition remained inspired by Persian poetic and painterly conventions. Closely examining magnificent paintings from the period, Singh unravels this entangled history of politics and style and proposes new ways to understand the significance of naturalism and stylization in Mughal art.
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781606065181
Publisert
2017-02-07
Utgiver
Vendor
Getty Publications
Vekt
286 gr
Høyde
209 mm
Bredde
158 mm
Dybde
10 mm
Aldersnivå
P, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
116

Forfatter

Om bidragsyterne

Kavita Singh is a professor at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.