ustad mansur and flora and fauna

7/24/2019 Ustad Mansur and Flora and Fauna

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Ustad Mansur /Flora and

Fauna


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Discus the importance of ora andfauna in mughal miniature painting?


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Earliest Reference to Mansur is found inthe dispersed miniatures of Baburnama

At Freer Galler of art! "ashington! andis dated bet#een $%&'(&%)

*aluable #or+ can be traced in thepainting of ,ahangir-s period)

.n earl phase his suriing #or+ are theillustrations of Baburnama dated $%&'($0'')

Mansur 1tarted his careeras a assistantcollaborator of 2anha! a leading painterof A+bar atelier)


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3ere Mansur has done coloring in thedra#ings made b 2anha)

4hough in cooperatie #or+s theindiidualit of painters is hard todi5erentiate But carful dra#ings and

thinl applied paint! but! seemespeciall characteristic of Mansur)

As such! #e hae to loo+ for some

other 6ner points in the painting tolocate Mansur! li+e the particularformation of bird ights! 4he

treatment of s+ and egetation!as ects #here Mansur is clearl


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3is special #a of handling them could betraced to his other independent #or+s as #ell)

Mansur in his earl phase also 7ollaborated#ith the master painters li+e Basa#an!Mas+in and 8anha on the manuscripts of ,ami(ul( 4a#ari+h and A+barnama)

.n thesejoint works Mansur #as onlassigned to color) B the end of A+bar periodhe #as successful to gained identi6cation as asolo painter in the illustrations of A+barnama)

After that he gained the title of USTAD) 4heterm Ustad #as an honori6c title denoting anindiidual-s e9cellence in his profession)


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Mansur had attained his reputation earlierthan $0$:! #hich can be incidental from his

signed ascription gien on theminiature;4ur+e 7oc+< in $0$=)

4he 4ur+e 7oc+ brought b Mu>arrab 2hanfrom Goa #as represented to ,ahangir in

$0$=) ,ahangir has con6dence in Mansur abilit for

e9actness in painting)

.n the follo#ing ear $0='#hen ,ahangirisited 2ashmir! Mansur #ho #as #ith him!had et another assignment to ful6ll to paintthe e9otic ora of the alle)


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4ur+e coc+


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4he 4ulip


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.n this #onderful throbbing age of hisaction! Mansur the great painter of naturalhistor! receied recognition of raree9cellence in ,ahangirs atelier)

,ahangirs gae him the title of 8adir(ul(Asr)

Mansur had undoubtedl attained such a

perfection and progress that his position asa portrait painter of birds and animals hadbecome supreme)

.n the art of dra#ing he #as uni>ue in hisgeneration according to the memories of

,ahangir)


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.n $0$&! ,ahangir ordered Mansur to paint theli+eness of the falcon brought as a gift from 1hahAbbass of @ersia)

.t can be generall obsered! a er plain bac+drop sho#ing a moing bac+ landscape merge #itha lo# and blurred horion of a at s+)

3e al#as achiees a total harmon bet#een the

bac+ ground treatment and a naturalisticforeground 6gures)

4he casual gro#th of o#ering plants or #eeds andshrubs or roc+ contours etc in the landscape is ustsatis6ed #ith coering the spaces in arious stles#ithout meaning much! but the create certainrhthms and moods that match the capturedmoment of the main obect of his painting)


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Main theme of the painting of Ustad Mansur!it coers the ma9imum space in the frame)

4he 6guresamaingl impose on the area ofthe frame #ith singular dignit)

4he domination of the main 6gure isachieed through minimiation of the other

details)

Mansur preference for subdued bac+groundin a harmonious blend thin color! results inrelating the natural surrounding #ith a main6gure and simultaneousl! producing reliefe5ect) E)g! falcon and Cebra)


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Falcon


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.n the bac+groundlandscape #ere treatedin horiontal and bold brush #hich create

contrast #ith minor details and delicate6ne lines of the main dra#ing) E)g! 8ilgai

4he handling of pigment #ith such greatfran+ness and boldness could be located

in Mansurs e9pression as earl as $0=')

8atural egetation proides depthandcontrol scale perspectiein animal

portrait) 4hecolor of the bac+ground are

monochrome #ith stlied plants)


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.n the miniatures the color laid in thebac+ground does not help to

distinguish the planes) .t is onl thegro#th of plants and ight of birds#hich suggests horiontal and

ertical planes) 4he distant birdat the far end sho#n

comparatiel smaller than in the

middle of the picture! to createdepth! #hich is the #esterninuence)

.n general! Mansur-s dra#ings e9hibit


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Mansur adopted for his bird and animalportraits the same contemporar norms

and conentions of human portraiture astrained in the Mughal atelier)

"ith isolated! single 6gure in pro6ledominating the #hole composition #ith a

casual landscape and at bac+ground) Mansur studies are concentrated on purel

obectie reproductions of the calml andclosel obsered birds and animals)

Animal dra#ings treated as still lifeportraits in the most realistic manner)


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During the entire period of his career ofthree decades $%&($0=! the miniatures

that are ascribed to him sho# his totaldeotion to painting of birds! animals ando#ers portraits #ith er minor shifts)

.n the e9ecution of the portrait he sho#ssuperb draughtsman ship! boldness andaccurac)

3is sole credit and greatest achieement

la in reproducing natural histor mostobectiel! incorporating in it the bestaesthetic >ualities of the Mughal art)

ustad mansur and flora and fauna

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