fbpx
Wikipedia

Ustad Mansur

August 25, 2023

Ustad Mansur (flourished 1590-1624) was a seventeenth-century Mughal painter and court artist. He grew up during the reign of Jahangir (r. 1605 - 1627) during which period he excelled at depicting plants and animals. He was the earliest artist to depict the dodo in colour, apart from being the first to illustrate the Siberian crane. Towards the end of Akbar's reign, he gained the title of ustad (=master) and during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir his masterpieces earned him the title of Nãdir-al-’Asr ("Unequalled of the age"). Although largely known for his natural history illustrations, he also portrayed people in various manuscript illustrations.

A painting depicting the dodo ascribed to Ustad Mansur dated to the period 1628-33. This is one of the few coloured images of the dodo made from a living specimen.

Life and work Edit

 
Tulip from Kashmir (c. 1610) by Mansur Naqqash

The year of Mansur's birth is unknown. His name was suffixed in some early miniatures as Naqqash, which can refer to an artist, painter, or carver, indicating that he came from a family that was in an artistic profession.[1] A single miniature showing 'Babur meeting his sister' (folio 8, National Museum) is attributed to Mansur but he otherwise finds no mention in Babur's memoirs (Baburnama).[2] He was associated with other artists of the period including Basawan, Miskina and Nanha. During Akbar's reign he appears to have been involved only as a colourist in the plates for the Book of Akbar (Akbarnama) and his name is not mentioned by Abu'l-Fazl among the list of artists. Akbar followed the principle that all artwork should include the name of the artist on the margin. The British Museum's copy of the Akbarnama (1604) includes some folios (35,110a,110b and 112a) where his name is prefixed with "ustad" (=master), indicating his rise to excellence.[2]

Early works included parts of portraits and other scenes. The earliest works were made as part of the Baburnama (1590–95) and most of these are as an assistant or a colourist.[3] His Veena-player (c. 1595) and coronation portrait of Jahangir (c. 1605, made along with the artist Manohar) are early works. In 1612, Jehangir received a turkey cock from Goa and this was illustrated by Mansur. In 1619, Jehangir received a Barbary falcon as a gift from Shah Abbas of Persia; Jehangir found it rare and beautifully patterned and when it died, he ordered that a likeness be made of the bird. In 1620, Jehangir visited Kashmir and spotted a brown dipper which he described in his memoirs (Tuzk-e-Jahangiri) translated as:[4]

 
Dipper (c. 1620) from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

"... In this stream I saw a bird like a saj. It dives and remains for a long time underneath and then comes up from a different place. I ordered them to catch and bring two or three of these birds, that I might ascertain whether they were waterfowl and were web-footed, or had open feet like land birds. They caught two... One died immediately and the other lived for a day. Its feet were not webbed like a duck's. I ordered Nadirul-asr Ustad Mansur to draw its likeness."

Mansur painted at least one hundred flowers from the Kashmir valley during this period.[5] A red tulip from Kashmir is a better-known painting. The identity of the tulip is however debated with competing suggestions that include Tulipa lanata, T. montana and T. lehmanniana.[6] In 1621, Jehangir was gifted a zebra and this was perhaps the subject of the last miniature painting made by Mansur. It is suggested that his career ended with the reign of Jehangir in 1627.[7] Several other signed works, such as one of the Siberian crane (now no longer a winter migrant to India) and the other of a Bengal florican are in the Indian Museum, Kolkata. Some other works are in the National Museum, Delhi, the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, Jaipur and the Chhatrapati Sivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai.[8]

 
Siberian crane (c. 1625)

Not all of Mansur's birds were based on reality. He also created fantasy birds and many of the compositions such as the flowers and insects in the background are juxtapositions created for effect.[9] It appears that these imaginary birds were made in the style of his senior peers, Miskina and Ikhlas, and were made only early in his career as an artist.[10] In terms of style, Mansur's illustrations focus on detail with a single bird dominating the composition. The birds or animals are in a standing posture or in a feeding stance. He often used plants and insects in the background and the floral borders, characteristic of Mughal works may help in identifying his works.[11]

The most significant paintings, in terms of zoology, are those of the Siberian crane and the dodo. The Siberian crane painting was made well before it was formally described and given a binomial name by Peter Simon Pallas in 1773. The painting of the dodo is among the rare few that were depicted in colour and is a very important source for zoologists. It is thought that the dodo was brought through Surat to Jehangir's court via Portuguese-controlled Goa and the painting of it was discovered in the Hermitage at St. Petersburg and although unsigned has been thought to be the work of Mansur or a close contemporary.[12][13][14] Two dodos were described by the English traveller Peter Mundy at Surat and it is thought that the painting is based on one of them. Mundy was in the region between 1628 and 1633.[15] The Siberian crane painted on paper is extremely detailed showing the wrinkles on the bare skin, the legs and a small feather stuck to the claw. Abanindranath Tagore was taken by E. B. Havell, principal of the art school at Calcutta and shown this painting. On examining the detail through a lens, he was inspired to move away from oil on canvas to gouache on paper.[16]

 
A c. 1612 chameleon at the Royal Gallery attributed to Ustad Mansur

Ustad Mansur was not the only artist in the Mughal court to illustrate flora and fauna. Other artists included Abu'l Hasan, Farrukh Beg, Govardhan, Inayat, Manohar, Muhammad Nadir, Murad and Pidarath. Jehangir considered Mansur and Abu'l Hasan to be exceptional artists.[17] Abu'l Hasan was given the titled of Nadir uz Zaman.[5] Several 17th-19th century artists have come to both imitate and copy his works (sometimes with his signature[18]), especially for export to Europe. It is therefore not easy to assess a true work by Ustad Mansur, which can in case of the chameleon (left) be done by taking in account the quality of the work. The painting is highly detailed and is presumed to be an Indian chameleon on account of the highly detailed view of the feet of the animal showing each foot exhibiting "fused digits in opposed groups", a lighter band by the edge of the mouth, and a line of white scales on the underside of the belly.[19]

Mansur was also a capable portrait artist. His painting of the musician Naubat Khan who worked in the courts of Akbar and later Jahangir is an example.[20] A crater on the planet Mercury is named in honour of Mansur.[21]

Notes Edit

  1. ^ Verma (1999):42
  2. ^ a b Verma (1999):43
  3. ^ Verma (1999):42.
  4. ^ Welch, Stuart Cary, ed. (1987). The Emperors' Album. Images of Mughal India. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 172.
  5. ^ a b Verma (1999):25
  6. ^ Das (2013):148.
  7. ^ Verma (1991):41.
  8. ^ Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2007). The Mughul Empire, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, ISBN 81-7276-407-1, p. 815
  9. ^ Das (2013):136.
  10. ^ Das (2013):137.
  11. ^ Verma (1999):53-55.
  12. ^ Das, A.K. 1974. "Ustad Mansur", Lalit Kala 17:32-39.
  13. ^ Rangarajan, M. (2001) India's Wildlife History. Permanent Black. pp. 14,19.
  14. ^ Iwanow, A (1958). "An Indian picture of the Dodo". Journal of Ornithology. 99 (4): 438–440. doi:10.1007/BF01671614. S2CID 23510175.
  15. ^ Stresemann, Erwin (1958). "Wie hat die Dronte (Raphus cucullatus L.) ausgesehen?". Journal of Ornithology (in German). 99 (4): 441–459. doi:10.1007/BF01671615. S2CID 28617863.
  16. ^ Das (2013):114.
  17. ^ Verma (1999):40
  18. ^ Verma (1999):72.
  19. ^ Ustad Mansur. "A chameleon". Royal Collection Trust. Inventory no. 912081.
  20. ^ Crill, Rosemary, Kapil Jariwala (2010). The Indian Portrait, 1560-1860. Mapin Publishing. p. 70.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". NASA & USGS. Retrieved 20 January 2014.

References Edit

  • Bosworth, CE; E. van Donzel; B. Lewis; C. Pellat, eds. (1988). The Encyclopaedia of Islam. New Edition. Volume 6. Mand-Marashis. Leiden: R. J. Brill. pp. 424–426.
  • Das, Asok Kumar (2013). Wonders of Nature. Ustad Mansur at the Mughal Court. Marg Publications.
  • Verma, S. P. (1999). Mughal Painter of Flora and Fauna Ustad Mansur. Abhinav Publications.

External links Edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ustad Mansur.
  • The Emperors' album: images of Mughal India, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (downloadable), which contains material on Ustad Mansur (nos. 41,44,45,47)
  • Metropolitan Museum Collections - Nilgai Great Hornbill Vultures
  • Victoria and Albert Museum - Cheer Pheasant Zebra Turkey Sketch of two cranes

August 25, 2023
ustad, mansur, flourished, 1590, 1624, seventeenth, century, mughal, painter, court, artist, grew, during, reign, jahangir, 1605, 1627, during, which, period, excelled, depicting, plants, animals, earliest, artist, depict, dodo, colour, apart, from, being, fir. Ustad Mansur flourished 1590 1624 was a seventeenth century Mughal painter and court artist He grew up during the reign of Jahangir r 1605 1627 during which period he excelled at depicting plants and animals He was the earliest artist to depict the dodo in colour apart from being the first to illustrate the Siberian crane Towards the end of Akbar s reign he gained the title of ustad master and during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir his masterpieces earned him the title of Nadir al Asr Unequalled of the age Although largely known for his natural history illustrations he also portrayed people in various manuscript illustrations A painting depicting the dodo ascribed to Ustad Mansur dated to the period 1628 33 This is one of the few coloured images of the dodo made from a living specimen Contents 1 Life and work 2 Notes 3 References 4 External linksLife and work Edit Tulip from Kashmir c 1610 by Mansur NaqqashThe year of Mansur s birth is unknown His name was suffixed in some early miniatures as Naqqash which can refer to an artist painter or carver indicating that he came from a family that was in an artistic profession 1 A single miniature showing Babur meeting his sister folio 8 National Museum is attributed to Mansur but he otherwise finds no mention in Babur s memoirs Baburnama 2 He was associated with other artists of the period including Basawan Miskina and Nanha During Akbar s reign he appears to have been involved only as a colourist in the plates for the Book of Akbar Akbarnama and his name is not mentioned by Abu l Fazl among the list of artists Akbar followed the principle that all artwork should include the name of the artist on the margin The British Museum s copy of the Akbarnama 1604 includes some folios 35 110a 110b and 112a where his name is prefixed with ustad master indicating his rise to excellence 2 Early works included parts of portraits and other scenes The earliest works were made as part of the Baburnama 1590 95 and most of these are as an assistant or a colourist 3 His Veena player c 1595 and coronation portrait of Jahangir c 1605 made along with the artist Manohar are early works In 1612 Jehangir received a turkey cock from Goa and this was illustrated by Mansur In 1619 Jehangir received a Barbary falcon as a gift from Shah Abbas of Persia Jehangir found it rare and beautifully patterned and when it died he ordered that a likeness be made of the bird In 1620 Jehangir visited Kashmir and spotted a brown dipper which he described in his memoirs Tuzk e Jahangiri translated as 4 Dipper c 1620 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art In this stream I saw a bird like a saj It dives and remains for a long time underneath and then comes up from a different place I ordered them to catch and bring two or three of these birds that I might ascertain whether they were waterfowl and were web footed or had open feet like land birds They caught two One died immediately and the other lived for a day Its feet were not webbed like a duck s I ordered Nadirul asr Ustad Mansur to draw its likeness Mansur painted at least one hundred flowers from the Kashmir valley during this period 5 A red tulip from Kashmir is a better known painting The identity of the tulip is however debated with competing suggestions that include Tulipa lanata T montana and T lehmanniana 6 In 1621 Jehangir was gifted a zebra and this was perhaps the subject of the last miniature painting made by Mansur It is suggested that his career ended with the reign of Jehangir in 1627 7 Several other signed works such as one of the Siberian crane now no longer a winter migrant to India and the other of a Bengal florican are in the Indian Museum Kolkata Some other works are in the National Museum Delhi the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Jaipur and the Chhatrapati Sivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya Mumbai 8 Siberian crane c 1625 Not all of Mansur s birds were based on reality He also created fantasy birds and many of the compositions such as the flowers and insects in the background are juxtapositions created for effect 9 It appears that these imaginary birds were made in the style of his senior peers Miskina and Ikhlas and were made only early in his career as an artist 10 In terms of style Mansur s illustrations focus on detail with a single bird dominating the composition The birds or animals are in a standing posture or in a feeding stance He often used plants and insects in the background and the floral borders characteristic of Mughal works may help in identifying his works 11 The most significant paintings in terms of zoology are those of the Siberian crane and the dodo The Siberian crane painting was made well before it was formally described and given a binomial name by Peter Simon Pallas in 1773 The painting of the dodo is among the rare few that were depicted in colour and is a very important source for zoologists It is thought that the dodo was brought through Surat to Jehangir s court via Portuguese controlled Goa and the painting of it was discovered in the Hermitage at St Petersburg and although unsigned has been thought to be the work of Mansur or a close contemporary 12 13 14 Two dodos were described by the English traveller Peter Mundy at Surat and it is thought that the painting is based on one of them Mundy was in the region between 1628 and 1633 15 The Siberian crane painted on paper is extremely detailed showing the wrinkles on the bare skin the legs and a small feather stuck to the claw Abanindranath Tagore was taken by E B Havell principal of the art school at Calcutta and shown this painting On examining the detail through a lens he was inspired to move away from oil on canvas to gouache on paper 16 A c 1612 chameleon at the Royal Gallery attributed to Ustad MansurUstad Mansur was not the only artist in the Mughal court to illustrate flora and fauna Other artists included Abu l Hasan Farrukh Beg Govardhan Inayat Manohar Muhammad Nadir Murad and Pidarath Jehangir considered Mansur and Abu l Hasan to be exceptional artists 17 Abu l Hasan was given the titled of Nadir uz Zaman 5 Several 17th 19th century artists have come to both imitate and copy his works sometimes with his signature 18 especially for export to Europe It is therefore not easy to assess a true work by Ustad Mansur which can in case of the chameleon left be done by taking in account the quality of the work The painting is highly detailed and is presumed to be an Indian chameleon on account of the highly detailed view of the feet of the animal showing each foot exhibiting fused digits in opposed groups a lighter band by the edge of the mouth and a line of white scales on the underside of the belly 19 Mansur was also a capable portrait artist His painting of the musician Naubat Khan who worked in the courts of Akbar and later Jahangir is an example 20 A crater on the planet Mercury is named in honour of Mansur 21 Notes Edit Verma 1999 42 a b Verma 1999 43 Verma 1999 42 Welch Stuart Cary ed 1987 The Emperors Album Images of Mughal India New York Metropolitan Museum of Art p 172 a b Verma 1999 25 Das 2013 148 Verma 1991 41 Majumdar R C ed 2007 The Mughul Empire Mumbai Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan ISBN 81 7276 407 1 p 815 Das 2013 136 Das 2013 137 Verma 1999 53 55 Das A K 1974 Ustad Mansur Lalit Kala 17 32 39 Rangarajan M 2001 India s Wildlife History Permanent Black pp 14 19 Iwanow A 1958 An Indian picture of the Dodo Journal of Ornithology 99 4 438 440 doi 10 1007 BF01671614 S2CID 23510175 Stresemann Erwin 1958 Wie hat die Dronte Raphus cucullatus L ausgesehen Journal of Ornithology in German 99 4 441 459 doi 10 1007 BF01671615 S2CID 28617863 Das 2013 114 Verma 1999 40 Verma 1999 72 Ustad Mansur A chameleon Royal Collection Trust Inventory no 912081 Crill Rosemary Kapil Jariwala 2010 The Indian Portrait 1560 1860 Mapin Publishing p 70 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature NASA amp USGS Retrieved 20 January 2014 References EditBosworth CE E van Donzel B Lewis C Pellat eds 1988 The Encyclopaedia of Islam New Edition Volume 6 Mand Marashis Leiden R J Brill pp 424 426 Das Asok Kumar 2013 Wonders of Nature Ustad Mansur at the Mughal Court Marg Publications Verma S P 1999 Mughal Painter of Flora and Fauna Ustad Mansur Abhinav Publications External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ustad Mansur The Emperors album images of Mughal India an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art downloadable which contains material on Ustad Mansur nos 41 44 45 47 Metropolitan Museum Collections Nilgai Great Hornbill Vultures Victoria and Albert Museum Cheer Pheasant Zebra Turkey Sketch of two cranes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ustad Mansur amp oldid 1161523385, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.