Mughal miniature paintings were small (many not more than a few square inches), brightly coloured, and highly detailed, mostly used to illustrate manuscripts and art books. Despite their tiny sizes, they are incredibly precise, with some lines painted using brushes composed of a single hair. The miniatures were either in form of book illustrations or single works kept in albums and were essentially a product of collaboration. Even where a painting is attributed to a specific artist, there have usually been many people involved in creating the art for different tasks, such as making the paint, priming the paper, calligraphy, outlining and colouring. A lot of careful labor went into creating these incredibly intricate works.

 

At the time, the Mughals were the most powerful economic force in the world. It is estimated that Emperor Abkar’s net worth at his peak would translate to a staggering $21 trillion today, with control over 25% of the world’s GDP! Money was generously diverted to the arts and artists thrived under the Mughal rulers. In addition to the miniatures, Mughal art included lavish architecture (such as the Taj Mahal, Humayun’s Tomb) as well as immaculately manicured gardens (Shalimar gardens, Verinag spring, etc.), and these were often portrayed in the miniature paintings.

 

The portability of miniatures enabled them to be easily traded from early times and gave them exposure all over the world. As a consequence, you will find Mughal Art and miniature paintings in museums and galleries across Europe and America.