A unique style of Indian painting which showcased the visual records of the Mughal era, Mughal paintings found its existence mostly in the illustrations and miniatures. In time, the Mughal Paintings emerged, developed and shaped up during the period of Mughal Empire especially during the 16th and 19th centuries. The paintings created during the Mughal period embody an inimitable blend of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles. Tracing back, the beginning of Mughal paintings can be credited to the likes of Humayun who was exposed to extraordinary Persian miniature paintings while in Tabriz in the Safavid court of Shah Tahmasp I. He returned back to India with two accomplished Persian artists, Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad. The work of these artists culminated with local styles of that period and emerged with distinct style in the form of Mughal paintings. Among the first examples of Mughal painting, the Tutinama (“Tales of a Parrot”) painting deserves special mention which is now housed in Cleveland Museum of Art. The manuscript was made during the reign of Humayun's son, Akbar.
Among the distinctive features of Mughal paintings, mention needs to be made of the treatment of diversity, which is simply amazing. A variety of themes related to portraits such as events, scenes from court life, wild life and hunting scenes and battle illustrations all find place in Mughal paintings. The remarkable collection of these paintings kept in Victoria and Albert Museum in London will simply make you wonder about unimaginable creative borders that humans can pursue. It was during the reigns of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan that Mughal painting developed and flourished. The imperial court during the reign of Akbar managed to influence the cultural excellence besides dealing with administrative authority. Countless painters produced numerous paintings which depicted scenes from various Hindu epics including the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The other themes being entertained by painters were themes related to animal fables. Mughal style of painting during this period continued to improve itself with essentials of pragmatism and naturalism which came to be highlighted as the years rolled on.
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After Emperor Akbar, the artistic inclinations of his son Jahangir contributed generously to the development of Mughal paintingsThe brush work became finer and the colors became comparatively lighter than what was used before. The Jahangirnama, which is a biography of Jahangir, has quite a few paintings, including some curious subjects as well. The reign of Shah Jahan after Jahangir saw the paintings gradually becoming cold and rigid.
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The themes during this time included musical parties, lovers in different states and the daily activities of the ascetics. As Aurangzeb came to acquire the throne, the decline of Mughal paintings set in though it is interesting to note that some of the best works of Mughal paintings got created during his reign itself.
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