The relationship between art and the social, cultural, and political institutions that sustain it is an interesting one. Probing this relationship provides insights into the life and times of patrons and artists of any period in history. It illumines the values and concerns that shaped attitudes to creative activity at the time. In this beautifully designed book Verma uses a thematic approach to the history of Mughal painting, to provide an accessible unfolding of this valuable tradition. Painting the Mughal Experience uses rare paintings from galleries across the world and draws on diverse textual sources to delve into the social history of dominant themes, motifs, and styles. The author provides a vivid account of the Mughal atelier and of the work of individual artists. In a comprehensive introduction he highlights the fresh treatment, in this style of painting, of real life situations — a feature that sets Mughal painting apart. Tracing the various influences on this magnificent genre of sixteen-century narrative art, Verma also touches upon parallel artistic traditions. Portraiture, the depiction of nature, and the illustration of margins in manuscripts–considered significant facets of Mughal painting–are looked at closely. Technical skills, motifs, and the symbolism so characteristic of this period are also discussed extensively. This volume also analyses the influence of European Renaissance art on Mughal painting. Enriched by the historian's craft this book is significant for the wide appeal it commands–it will not only interest serious scholars of Mughal history and cultural studies, but also art historians, connoisseurs of art, and those interested in the development of painting in South Asia.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Som Prakash Verma
Professor Som Prakash Verma (b.1942), an art historian, at present at the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, has written two books and has also contributed to scholarly and art journals. His art and Material Culture in the Paintings of Akbar's Court published in 1978 may rightly be said to be the first authentic treatment of art as a source of history by an Indian scholar. His volume, Mughal Painters and Their Work- A Biographical Survey and Comprehensive Catalogue, has been published in 1994 by the Oxford University Press, New Delhi. This is a very important work of reference, indispensable for students of Mughal painting. He has edited Art and Culture (Felicitation Volume in Honour of Professor S. Nurul Hasan) jointly with Professor Ahsan Jan Qaisar (1993); and is the Guest-Editor of the Marg Volume: Flora and Fauna in Mughal Art (forthcoming). Professor Verma is a practicing artist as well. He is the recipient of two prestigious awards by the Indian Academy of Fine Arts, Amritsar (1981) and the Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta (1982); and his paintings are known in the art galleries, government and private art collections in India and abroad. The exhibitions of historical miniatures (reproductions) prepared by him: (1) Everyday Life and Work in Mughal India (1984), (2) Medieval Technology-Illustrations from Indian Art (1984), (3) Wild Life in Mughal Painting (1985), (4) Medieval Indian Architecture (1986), and (5) The Life of Akbar as Illustrated in Contemporary Miniatures (1992) provide invaluable data on Indian society, culture, art, architecture and technology. At present these are lodged in the Seminar Library, Department of History (AMU). In 1986-7, Professor Verma worked at the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, and Washington, D.C. as a Fulbright Fellow.
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