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Indian Miniature Paintings

A collection of vibrant Indian miniature artworks depicting court scenes, romantic themes, and mythical elements, emphasizing intricate details and rich colors.

'Pataman jari raigini' (First spring bloomed branch). In a palace court, a princess is given a lotus flower, the symbol of her lover. Hindu art. Miniature Painting. FRANCE. ëLE-DE-FRANCE. Paris. Marco Polo Gallery.
'Pataman jari raigini' (First spring bloomed branch). In a palace court, a princess is given a lotus flower, the symbol of her lover. Hindu art. Miniature Painting. FRANCE. ëLE-DE-FRANCE. Paris. Marco Polo Gallery.
132 assets in this story
6145-51379237
Overdoor (France); block-printed on handmade paper
1746-30019612
The defeat of Hemu at the Second Battle of Panipat, c.1590s painting by Kankar from the Akbarnama. The Second Battle of Panipat was fought on 5 November 1556, between the Chief Minister of the Suri Dynasty, Hemu, and the forces of the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
6145-29133138
The Month of Jeth (May-June), Folio from a Barahmasa (The Twelve Months). India, Rajasthan, Uniara, circa 1775. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
6145-29798136
"Bhil Couple Hunting Deer at Night", Folio from the Davis Album mid-18th century Night hunts were a favorite object of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Mughal painters, serving as settings for both royal hunts and for a genre of paintings featuring tribal forest dwellers, such as the couple seen here dressed in leaf skirts and hunting deer. The woman catches the herd's attention with a torch while her companion shoots an arrow, felling the stag. Their village of thatched huts, set in a forest clearing, occupies the middle ground. Illuminated by the soft glow of the moon, the composition is a study in light and shadow, the master exponent of which in the mid-eighteenth century was the painter Mir Kalan Khan, whose atelier may have been responsible for this painting.. "Bhil Couple Hunting Deer at Night", Folio from the Davis Album 448478
6145-46352062
Two winged men with nose-knee bindings. Against an orange-red background are two figures with wings and a kind of trunk that connects nose and knee in conversation. The show is framed by a blue with gold specked edge, a few frame lines, colored with gold and black, around which a wide-marbled edge; The show has been stuck on the blue border; Verso a calligraphy.
4409-17392577
Portrait of Muhammad Shah Qajar and his Vizier Haj Mirza Aghasi. Dimensions: H. 15 in (38.1 cm) W. 10 7/8 in (27.6 cm). Date: second quarter 19th century.This imperial portrait shows Muhammad Shah, the third ruler of the Qajar dynasty (r. 1834-48), seated on a verandah in a traditional pose holding a jewel-studded sword as his trusted vizier reads him a letter. He wears a scarlet, European-style military uniform with pearl epaulettes and bejeweled armbands (bazubands) and a Qajar astrakhan hat with a plumed aigrette. Watercolor portraits of Muhammad Shah are rare; this painting combines traditional and Europeanizing stylistic elements and highlights the transitional spirit of court portraiture during his rule. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.
6145-59238417
Portrait of Sayyid Muzaffar; At the time of Sultan Abul Hasan, he served as supreme commander (Peshwa), c. 1686 drawing. Indian miniature Sayyid Muzaffar is depicted up to his hips, used to the left, a strip of paper in his hands. Page 28 in the `Witsen-Album ', with 49 Indian miniatures of princes. Above the portrait a piece of paper with the name in Persian. Under the portrait a piece of paper with the name in the Portuguese. Golkonda paper. deck paint. gold leaf. gouache (paint) brush ruler, sovereign. historical person (...) - historical person (...) portrayed alone
4443-28737382
Da fangguang huayan jing, 14th century, 9/16 x 4 13/16 x 13 15/16 in. (1.4 x 12.2 x 35.4 cm), Woodblock print, China, 14th century
6145-51833573
The Abduction of Sita, Page from an illustrated manuscript of the Ramayana Indian. The Abduction of Sita, Page from an illustrated manuscript of the Ramayana, ca. 1775. Opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper, sheet: 9 3/4 x 14 1/16 in. (24.8 x 35.7 cm). This painting illustrates the pivotal moment in the Ramayana when the demon Ravana kidnaps Ramas beautiful wife, Sita. The multiheaded Ravana and Sita are shown twice: at the lower left Ravana has mortally wounded a giant vulture who valiantly attempted to save Sita, while in the upper right corner the demon flies away with his prize. Sita drops a pouch of jewelry to a group of monkeys, who will report her abduction to Rama. In the background, two sickly trees flank a healthy tree, echoing ugly Ravanas embrace of the lovely Sita. Asian Art ca. 1775
4409-17374867
The Lovers. Artist: Painting by Riza-yi `Abbasi (Persian, ca. 1565-1635). Dimensions: Painting: H. 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm) W. 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm)Page: H. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm)W. 4 15/16 in. (12.5 cm)Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm)W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm). Date: dated A.H. 1039/ A.D. 1630.The artist Riza-yi 'Abbasi revolutionized Persian painting and drawing with his inventive use of calligraphic line and unusual palette. He painted The Lovers toward the end of a long, successful career at the Safavid court. The subject of a couple entwined reflects a newly relaxed attitude to sensuality introduced in the reign of Shah Safi (r. 1629-42). Here the figures are inextricably bound together, merged volumes confined within one outline. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.
4409-17392226
Celebration of the Birth of Krishna (Janamashtami). Artist: Attributed to Ragunath. Culture: India (Rajasthan, Nathadwara). Dimensions: Image (sight): 19 7/8 x 25 1/4 in. (50.5 x 64.1 cm)Framed: 28 x 35 in. (71.1 x 88.9 cm). Date: ca. 1880-1900. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.
6145-29192489
Narasimha Kills the Demon-King Hiranyakashipu 1875-80 Eastern India, Kolkata, West Bengal This monochromatic lithograph was printed in one of the first printing workshops in Kolkata (Calcutta) to produce Hindu devotional prints for commercial distribution. In this rendering, undoubtedly drawn by a trained painter, we see Vishnus man-lion avatar adorned with a crown revealing himself from within a pillar that has split open. The base and capital of the pillar are adorned with acanthus leaves, a detail familiar to the artist from Victorian colonial architecture in Calcutta. This rare impression may well be the earliest known popular print of this subject and was likely intended for hand-coloring.. Narasimha Kills the Demon-King Hiranyakashipu. Eastern India, Kolkata, West Bengal. 1875-80. Lithograph. Prints
6145-29122625
A Discourse by Candlelight. India, West Bengal, Murshidabad, circa 1775. Drawings; watercolors. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
1443-438
Portrait of Nasreddin Hodscha ca. 1500 Artist Unknown Miniature
4409-28962849
Head of a young woman, among flowering stems. Date: ca. 1620. Origin: India. Period: Mughal dynasty. Color and gold on paper. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
4409-17534336
Krishna extinguishes a forest fire. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1700 - 1800. Place: Rajasthan. Measurements: h 154 mm × w 294 mm; h 121 mm × w 157 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
4443-21769191
Portrait of Sukhjivan Khan, draughtsman: anonymous, Jammu, 1760 - 1770, paper, brush, h 265 mm × w 173 mm, h 208 mm × w 127 mm
6145-29077936
Kali, c. 1890. Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat. Watercolor, graphite, and ink on paper; painting only: 28 x 21.5 cm (11 x 8 7/16 in.).
6145-29081492
Pradyumna and Samvara fight with maces: Leaf from the "Large Basohli Bhagavata Purana", c. 1760-1765. India, Pahari, Basholi, 18th century. Color and gold on paper; image: 28 x 38.3 cm (11 x 15 1/16 in.); overall: 30.2 x 41 cm (11 7/8 x 16 1/8 in.).
6145-29799579
Portrait of a Lady late 17th-18th century. Portrait of a Lady 451393
6145-29821035
Portrait of the Elephant 'Alam Guman ca. 1640 Painting attributed to Bichitr Persian inscription (in nasta'liq script in gold cartouche, possibly in Shah Jahans hand): "Likeness of 'Alam Guman Gajraj [the arrogant one of the earth, king of elephants whose value is one lakh [a hundred thousand rupees" Along with seventeen other elephants from Mewar, this famous tusker was presented to the Mughal emperor Jahangir during the New Year celebrations of March 21, 1614. In his memoirs, Jahangir states: "on the second day of the New Year, knowing it propitious for a ride, I mounted ['Alam Guman and scattered about much money." Elephants were among the prized possession of the Indian courts, and their portraiture falls into the larger Mughal practice of meticulously recording the treasures of the court.. Portrait of the Elephant 'Alam Guman 453367
4409-17490236
Maharana Sangram II visiting Gosain Nilakanthaji after a tiger hunt. Date/Period: Ca. 1725. Opaque Watercolours. Opaque watercolour and gold paint on paper opaque watercolour and gold paint on paper. Height: 650 mm (25.59 in); Width: 485 mm (19.09 in). Author: Indian Unknown.
4409-132851
ESCENA CHINESCA "EL PASEO" - TAPIZ - 1720 - 2,02x2,74 m. Author: VANDERBANCK JOHN. Location: BANCO EXTERIOR-COLECCION. MADRID. SPAIN.
4409-17519129
Two standing nobles in Mogol clothing with their names above it. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1800 - 1899. Place: Jaipur. Measurements: h 30 cm × w 42.5 cm; h 212 mm × w 163 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
6145-29286855
An episode in an Indian mythological story: a figure, part tiger, part man slaughters a man lying before him, whilst a couple watches with folded hands. Gouache painting by an Indian artist.
6145-29068572
Portrait of the Aged Akbar, c. 1640-1650. Attributed to Govardhan (Indian, active c.1596-1645). Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; image: 25.2 x 16.8 cm (9 15/16 x 6 5/8 in.); overall: 27.5 x 18.8 cm (10 13/16 x 7 3/8 in.).
4443-21770533
Two men on horseback and three standing on the ground. At the bottom of the text: The game of Gav and Chogan. On the back inscription in Persian writing., Polo players, paper, brush, h 298 mm × w 240 mm, h 180 mm × w 180 mm
1899-18718609
Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram Shah Jahan I (1592 -1666), or Shah Jahan, from the Persian meaning 'king of the world', was the fifth Mughal ruler in India and a favourite of his legendary grandfather Akbar the Great. He is best known for commissioning the 'Phadshahnamah' as a chronicle of his reign, and for the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra as a tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Under Shah Jahan, the Mughal Empire attained its highest union of strength and magnificence. The opulence of Shah Jahan's court and his famous Peacock Throne was the wonder of all the European travelers and ambassadors. His political efforts encouraged the emergence of large centers of commerce and crafts such as Lahore, Delhi, Agra and Ahmedabad linked by roads and waterways to distant places and ports. He moved the capital from Agra to Delhi. Under Shah Jahan's rule, the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Delhi were built, the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore, sections of the Lahore Fort and his father's mausoleum.
6176-66093438
Vintage Japanese art Woodcut by Yoshida Hiroshi.
6188-64595257
Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan Painting
7003-69603328
INDIA, Rajasthan, Udaipur: City Palace, the largest Palace Complex in Rajasthan, Wall Mural
6188-63971162
Indian miniature painting water color on paper bilawati ragini, Rajasthan, India Copyright: xSafatxAli/DinodiaxPhotox