Indian Painting under the Mughals, A.D. 1550 to A.D. 1750 c15.34

c15.34

The royal connoisseur also highly praises the leading animal painter Ustad Mansur, of whom he writes that he ‘has become Nadiru’l-‘Asr (wonder of the age), and in the art of drawing is unique in his generation’. In explanation of these grandiloquent titles it may be noticed that Jahangir had a playful way of devising these and conferring them on those who pleased him with their handiwork. Besides those here referred to, ‘Umdat al-Musavvirin, ‘the pillar of the painters’, and Naqwat al-Muharririn, ‘choicest of writers’, were given at one time to the leading artist and writer respectively at his court. From these and other indications, it is fairly clear that in this monarch’s eyes the Muhammadan artists found the greatest favour, although he gives credit to the Hindu where this is due. He makes special reference to a portrait painter of the name of Bishandās, ‘who was unequalled in his age for taking likenesses’. Of Daulat, too, one of Akbar’s ablest illustrators, he also entertained a high opinion, and ordered that his portrait should be painted, together with that of the writer, on the fly-leaf of an illuminated manuscript, in the production of which both these experts took a prominent part. This interesting picture is reproduced on Plate XVIII.