Age Of Darkness
Mogul Era 16th-18th Century
During this period there was a return to central authority and massive conversion to Islam. A lot of Indian art and architecture was destroyed during their rule in their attempt to convert India. However, they became highly influenced by Indian philosophy and art and their rule was not without flourishing of art and litterature. A new style of art was produced as an ammalgamation of Persian (Iranian) and Indian art. Even though the Moguls were zealous muslims, most of their art was secular in nature. We don't find much baroque art during their reign. In the beginning of the Mogul art seems more Boroque but within a few decades the style changes to classical. Mogul art is a great addition to Indian Art.
The existing non-Mogul traditional Art of this period is mostly Classical, as seen by various sculptures and paintings of the time. But towards the end of the period archaic form seems to be more prevalent. Towards the end of this period and the beginning of the Age Of Revolution, the art of India declines and most of the art produced becomes Archaic.
Author: NOVO
E-mail: [email protected] 27th July 2000
Location: NW India
Early 16th Century, Babur's Rule
Mogul Art
Lot of action going on with a series of curved diagonals from two sides that clash at a gentle vertical curve in the centre. Contrasting colours. Rocky ridge is 1/3 from top. The tree at the bottom reaches up to 1/3 from the bottom. There is a triangle at the ridge starting on the left with the horse and the right with the soldiers head meeting at the top of the hill.
Location: NW India
Late 16th Century AD during Akbar's rule
Mogul Art
A lot of geometric forms. A diagonal is seen on left with three heads going down to the hand of a man at the bottom and a curve with three heads around the last head of the diagonal. Hands of the second man on the left form a diagonal pointing to the guy in red. The dark man's hand goes on a curve that goes up the left edge of the red dress. The other edge of the red dress goes down on a curve to the hand of the guy on the bottom. This curve rises in an s-curve o the head of the man in red. The hands of the man in red is in a bow. There are other graceful diagonals and curves in the picture.
Location: Punjab, India
1660-70 AD
Opaque watercolor, gold, silver, and beetle-wing cases on paper
Very little form. Some distinct s-curves.
Location: NW India
1600s, Akbar's Rule
Mogul Art
Exquisite painting with curves that stretches the whole picture. The branch on the right traces a diagonal that extends to form the top of the brown earth. The squirell and the branch its on forms another diagonal that is parallel to both the leaves on top and the ground on the right. Branches on the left trace out a bow to the roots on the left. Other curves can be traced from the tree through the peacock on the left to the crane on the top while another goes through the front leg of the peacock on the right to the bottom and the fish and pebbles at the bottom. Colour contrast to allow content not to be lost.
Location: NW India
1600s AD, Jahangir's Rule
Mogul Art
The Moghuls reveled in blood and gore and this picture depicts one of their hobbies. Great use of fluid curves. The elephants form a huge curve and the elephant on the left touches the edge at the half mark, while the foot of the elephant on the right touches at 1/3 mark. The foot soldiers were below the 1/3 mark at which the back of the horse lies. The horses head points to the foot of the elephant on the left and the diagonal goes up to the man on top. There is a host of geometric shapes, with the spears pointing at specific directions and others. However, this is an idealised form.
Location: NW India
1600s AD, Jahangir's Rule
Mogul Art
S-curves leading up in a series. The picture is very gentle and idealized. The banister is on the half mark while the black floor is on the 1/8th mark. There is gentle but definite contrast of colours. This is very beautiful to look at.
(The arch might make it fall into the Romanesque form.)
1600s AD, Jahangir's Rule
Mogul Art
Very rigid even though there is some motion in picture. There is an S-curve moving from the hand down the dress.
Bengal or Orissa
17th Century
This complex piece makes use of curves. Lot of movment but idealized.
Baroque?
Location: Bengal
17th Century
Simplified and rigid.
Location: NW India
Late 17th Century AD, Shah Jahan's Rule
Mogul Art
This figure is rigid and idealized. There are geometric patterns in it, readily visible especially with the proportional placement of the horzontal and veritcal lines. The diagonals of the roof of the bed meet to form a triangle at the first horizontal line on top.
Location: NW India
Late 17th Century AD, Shah Jahan's Rule
Mogul Art
Another idealized portrait of Shah Jahan, who is creditted by western historians for building the Taj Mahal, probably wrongly. The image uses some simple curves.
Location: NW India
Late 17th Century AD, Shah Jahan's rule
Mogul Art
Beautiful painting with diagonals. The picture divided into three horizontal sections. The first ends roughly at the tip of the umbrella and rocks. The second ends at the eyelevel of the horses. There are several diagonals used too. The umbrella continues on a diagonal on which the tree on the right is drawn. A diagonal goes across from the rocks through the umbrella to the rocks on the other side. Another starts from the left hand of the guy behind and passes through the leg of the person infront and points to the rocks on the right bottom corner. There are other diagonals and subtle curves.
Late 1600s tp early 1700s, Aurongozeb's Rule
Mogul Art
This image is beautiful with several geometrically significant horizontal lines with triangles forming from intersecting diagonals. There are several triangles in the whole image and maybe circles centred at the medalions and hand.
Idealized.
Location: Punjab, India
1720 AD
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper.
This is a moment from the epic Mahabharat. The picture is simple with not much form with may be a few simple curves.
Location: Rajasthan
1725 AD
Opaque and transparent watercolor, ink, and silver on paper.
Exquisite piece with multitude of curves flowing in all directions.
1780.
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper.
This painting also uses less form and is simple.
Bengal
Opaque watercolor on paper
18th Century
This quaint painting uses diagonals as guides and has beautiful colours. The roof edge on the left and the left hand of the disciple (Left) are on the same diagonal that rises to form an edge in the folliage. The edge of the roof on the right goes through the tree trunk where the first branch is drawn and the diagonal continues into the hand of the Yogini. The root of the tree and the stick laying on the ground are on the same curve. The Yoginis head points to the first branch and the head of the disciple lies right beneath the last tree further in the landscape, while her stick points to the trees and continues to the clouds. The Yoginis knee also points to the trees. The curve of the door goes along her back and marks off the begining of the stick on the ground. This simple painting makes use of great shapes and curves.
Tamil Nadu, South India
Material: Bronze with copper
17th - 18th century
Shiva is represented here in a male-female form.
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