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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Abu al-Hasan was the son of [[Reza Abbasi|Aqa Reza]] of [[Herat]] in [[Safavid Iran]], a city with an artistic tradition. [[Reza Abbasi|Aqa Reza]] was established as an artist and took up employment with [[Jahangir]] (r. 1605-1627) before the latter's accession to the throne of the [[Mughal empire]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=b1048212 1|url=https://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15324coll10/id/114935|access-date=2021-05-13|website=libmma.contentdm.oclc.org|language=en}}</ref> When Abu al-Hasan began producing art, the [[emperor]], Jahangir, appreciated the skills of the boy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Beach|first=Milo Cleveland|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521400275|title=Mughal and Rajput Painting|date=1992-09-24|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-40027-5}}</ref>  In 1599, Abu al-Hasan moved with Jahangir to his newly founded court in [[Allahabad]].<ref name=":1">{{Citation|title=1600–1660: Mughal painting and the rise of local workshops|date=1992-09-24|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521400275.006|work=Mughal and Rajput Painting|pages=68–156|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-40027-5|access-date=2021-05-13}}</ref>
Abu al-Hasan was the son of [[Reza Abbasi|Aqa Reza]] of [[Herat]] in [[Safavid Iran]], a city with an artistic tradition. [[Reza Abbasi|Aqa Reza]] was established as an artist and took up employment with [[Jahangir]] (r. 1605-1627) before the latter's accession to the throne of the [[Mughal empire]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last1=Welch|first1=Stuart Cary|url=http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15324coll10/id/114935|title=The Emperors' album: images of Mughal India|last2=Schimmel|first2=Annemarie|last3=Swietochowski|first3=Marie L.|last4=Thackston|first4=Wheeler M.|date=1987|publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art|location=New York|language=English|oclc=893699157}}</ref> When Abu al-Hasan began producing art, the [[emperor]], Jahangir, appreciated the skills of the boy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Beach|first=Milo Cleveland|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521400275|title=Mughal and Rajput Painting|date=1992-09-24|publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/chol9780521400275|isbn=978-0-521-40027-5}}</ref>  In 1599, Abu al-Hasan moved with Jahangir to his newly founded court in [[Allahabad]].<ref name=":1">{{Citation|title=1600–1660: Mughal painting and the rise of local workshops|date=1992-09-24|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521400275.006|work=Mughal and Rajput Painting|series=The New Cambridge History of India|pages=68–156|publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/chol9780521400275.006|isbn=978-0-521-40027-5|access-date=2021-05-13}}</ref>


The emperor considered Abu al-Hasan to be particularly special to him and under his care.<ref name=":2" /> This is because although Abu al-Hasan’s artwork was similar in many ways to his father’s with [[Dutch art|Dutch]] and [[English art|English]] influence, it was considered to be of a higher quality similar to that of older masters in the field.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" />  Jahangir said of Abu al-Hasan that he had no equal and for the work done on the frontispiece for his memoires, the emperor bestowed the title ''Nadir-uz-Saman'' ("Wonder of the Age") on Abu al-Hasan in 1618.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/76199|access-date=2021-05-21|website=www.metmuseum.org}}</ref>  
The emperor considered Abu al-Hasan to be particularly special to him and under his care.<ref name=":2" /> This is because although Abu al-Hasan’s artwork was similar in many ways to his father’s with [[Dutch art|Dutch]] and [[English art|English]] influence, it was considered to be of a higher quality similar to that of older masters in the field.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" />  Jahangir said of Abu al-Hasan that he had no equal and for the work done on the frontispiece for his memoires, the emperor bestowed the title ''Nadir-uz-Saman'' ("Wonder of the Age") on Abu al-Hasan in 1618.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=Study of Saint John the Evangelist, After Albrecht Dürer|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/76199|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-21|website=www.metmuseum.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521132521/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/76199 |archive-date=21 May 2021 }}</ref>  


Abu al-Hasan's main task was the documentation of events at the imperial court, which resulted in many portraits being completed. [[Portrait]]s were the hallmark of Jahangir’s rule.<ref name=":12">{{Citation|title=1600–1660: Mughal painting and the rise of local workshops|date=1992-09-24|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521400275.006|work=Mughal and Rajput Painting|pages=68–156|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-40027-5|access-date=2021-05-13}}</ref> Not many of Abu al-Hasan's paintings survived, but those that identify him as the artist show that he also worked on a range of subjects, including some everyday scenes<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Potter|first=Polyxeni|date=September 2009|title=Never Has There Been a Shade1|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2819890/|journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases|volume=15|issue=9|pages=1541–1542|doi=10.3201/eid1509.000000|issn=1080-6040|pmc=2819890}}</ref> and political paintings that showed the emperor and [[Mughal Empire|Mughal empire]] in a positive and powerful light.<ref name=":3" /> In addition to original works of art, Abu al-Hasan also retouched other artists' paintings (one such example is below: ''Dancing Dervishes'')<ref name=":2" />
Abu al-Hasan's main task was the documentation of events at the imperial court, which resulted in many portraits being completed. [[Portrait]]s were the hallmark of Jahangir’s rule.<ref name=":12">{{Citation|title=1600–1660: Mughal painting and the rise of local workshops|date=1992-09-24|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521400275.006|work=Mughal and Rajput Painting|series=The New Cambridge History of India|pages=68–156|publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/chol9780521400275.006|isbn=978-0-521-40027-5|access-date=2021-05-13}}</ref> Not many of Abu al-Hasan's paintings survived, but those that identify him as the artist show that he also worked on a range of subjects, including some everyday scenes<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Potter|first=Polyxeni|date=September 2009|title=Never Has There Been a Shade1|journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases|volume=15|issue=9|pages=1541–1542|doi=10.3201/eid1509.000000|issn=1080-6040|pmc=2819890}}</ref> and political paintings that showed the emperor and [[Mughal Empire|Mughal empire]] in a positive and powerful light.<ref name=":3" /> In addition to original works of art, Abu al-Hasan also retouched other artists' paintings (one such example is below: ''Dancing Dervishes'')<ref name=":2" />


Abu al-Hasan’s career aligned with developments in the style of [[Mughal painting]]s.<ref name=":2" /> However, when Jahangir's reign came to an end, and [[Shah Jahan]] began his rule, Abu al-Hasan's career became less active until 1628 from which point on, there is no evidence of him producing art.<ref name=":5" />
Abu al-Hasan’s career aligned with developments in the style of [[Mughal painting]]s.<ref name=":2" /> However, when Jahangir's reign came to an end, and [[Shah Jahan]] began his rule, Abu al-Hasan's career became less active until 1628 from which point on, there is no evidence of him producing art.<ref name=":5" />
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[[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]
[[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]


Portrays a [[Forktail|spotted forktail bird]], usually found in the [[Himalayas]], caught in a hunt<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/454623|access-date=2021-05-21|website=www.metmuseum.org}}</ref> in Jangespur (which is not a known location today) that the emperor demanded be drawn. The [[gilding]] along the border decorated with floral motifs, however, was not completed by Abu al-Hasan, but another artist named as Harif by an inscription.<ref name=":2" />
Portrays a [[Forktail|spotted forktail bird]], usually found in the [[Himalayas]], caught in a hunt<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|title="Spotted Forktail", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/454623|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-21|website=www.metmuseum.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123010153/http://www.metmuseum.org:80/art/collection/search/454623 |archive-date=23 November 2016 }}</ref> in Jangespur (which is not a known location today) that the emperor demanded be drawn. The [[gilding]] along the border decorated with floral motifs, however, was not completed by Abu al-Hasan, but another artist named as Harif by an inscription.<ref name=":2" />


<u>Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on silk</u>
<u>Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on silk</u>
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[[Freer Gallery of Art]]
[[Freer Gallery of Art]]


Abu al-Hasan doesn't label the globe, but puts it under Emperor Jahangir's feet and gives the emperor a key to the globe. The inscription reads, "The key of victory over the two worlds is entrusted in his hand".<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Ramaswamy|first=Sumathi|date=October 2007|title=Conceit of the Globe in Mughal Visual Practice|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0010417507000758|journal=Comparative Studies in Society and History|volume=49|issue=4|pages=751–782|doi=10.1017/s0010417507000758|issn=0010-4175}}</ref>
Abu al-Hasan doesn't label the globe, but puts it under Emperor Jahangir's feet and gives the emperor a key to the globe. The inscription reads, "The key of victory over the two worlds is entrusted in his hand".<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Ramaswamy|first=Sumathi|date=October 2007|title=Conceit of the Globe in Mughal Visual Practice|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0010417507000758|journal=Comparative Studies in Society and History|volume=49|issue=4|pages=751–782|doi=10.1017/s0010417507000758|s2cid=144619248|issn=0010-4175}}</ref>


<u>Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper</u>
<u>Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper</u>
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[[Sotheby's]] Picture Library, London
[[Sotheby's]] Picture Library, London


[[Cartography|Cartographic]] artifacts, such as the [[globe]] in this painting, were regarded as distinguished and could increase the reputation of the owner or holder of such an object. It was as much a symbol of royalty as a crown. This artwork was painted in [[Mandu]] . The [[Persia|Persian]] verses espouse the emperor's greatness in the context of other world empires. In this painting, the globe isn't labeled.<ref name=":3" /> This painting's image measures 197 x 128.5 cm and is the largest known Mughal painting.   
[[Cartography|Cartographic]] artifacts, such as the [[globe]] in this painting, were regarded as distinguished and could increase the reputation of the owner or holder of such an object. It was as much a symbol of royalty as a crown. This artwork was painted in [[Mandu, Madhya Pradesh|Mandu]]. The [[Persia|Persian]] verses espouse the emperor's greatness in the context of other world empires. In this painting, the globe isn't labeled.<ref name=":3" /> This painting's image measures 197 x 128.5 cm and is the largest known Mughal painting.   


<u>Gouache with gold on fine cotton</u>
<u>Gouache with gold on fine cotton</u>
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File:1 Daulat. Portrait of Abu'l Hasan. From the Gulshan Album, ca. 1610, Golestan Palace Library, Tehran.jpg|Portrait of Abu'l Hasan. From the Gulshan Album, ca. 1610, Golestan Palace Library, Tehran
File:1 Daulat. Portrait of Abu'l Hasan. From the Gulshan Album, ca. 1610, Golestan Palace Library, Tehran.jpg|Portrait of Abu'l Hasan. From the Gulshan Album, ca. 1610, Golestan Palace Library, Tehran
File:Jahangir - Abu al-Hasan.jpeg|''The Mughal Emperor Jahangir with Radiant Gold Halo, Holding a Globe (c. 1617)''The largest known Mughal portrait depicting Emperor Jahangir. Attributed to Abu'l Hasan, Nadir al-Zaman painted at Mandu
File:Jahangir - Abu al-Hasan.jpeg|''The Mughal Emperor Jahangir with Radiant Gold Halo, Holding a Globe (c. 1617)''The largest known Mughal portrait depicting Emperor Jahangir. Attributed to Abu'l Hasan, Nadir al-Zaman painted at Mandu
File:2 Abu'l Hasan. Study of St. John Evangelist adapted from Durer's Crusifixion engraving of 1511. Dated 1600-1601, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford..jpg|2 Abu'l Hasan. Study of St. John Evangelist adapted from Durer's Crusifixion engraving of 1511. Dated 1600-1601, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford..jpg
File:2 Abu'l Hasan. Study of St. John Evangelist adapted from Durer's Crusifixion engraving of 1511. Dated 1600-1601, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford..jpg|2 Abu'l Hasan. Study of St. John Evangelist adapted from Durer's Crucifixion engraving of 1511. Dated 1600-1601, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.
File:Dancing Dervishes.jpg|"Dancing Dervishes", Folio from the Shah Jahan Albumrecto: ca. 1610; verso: ca. 1530–50
File:Dancing Dervishes.jpg|"Dancing Dervishes", Folio from the Shah Jahan Albumrecto: ca. 1610; verso: ca. 1530–50
</gallery>
</gallery>
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[[Category:1589 births]]
[[Category:1589 births]]
[[Category:17th-century deaths]]
[[Category:17th-century deaths]]
[[Category:17th-century Iranian people]]
[[Category:17th-century Iranian painters]]
[[Category:17th-century Indian painters]]
[[Category:17th-century Indian painters]]
[[Category:Painters from Delhi]]
[[Category:Painters from Delhi]]

Latest revision as of 01:29, 1 April 2022

Abu'l-Hasan (or Abu al-Hasan) (1589 – c. 1630), from Delhi, India, was a Mughal painter of miniatures in the reign of Jahangir.

Portrait of Abu al-Hasan by Daulat from the Gulshan Album (c. 1610)

BiographyEdit

Abu al-Hasan was the son of Aqa Reza of Herat in Safavid Iran, a city with an artistic tradition. Aqa Reza was established as an artist and took up employment with Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) before the latter's accession to the throne of the Mughal empire.[1] When Abu al-Hasan began producing art, the emperor, Jahangir, appreciated the skills of the boy.[2] In 1599, Abu al-Hasan moved with Jahangir to his newly founded court in Allahabad.[3]

The emperor considered Abu al-Hasan to be particularly special to him and under his care.[1] This is because although Abu al-Hasan’s artwork was similar in many ways to his father’s with Dutch and English influence, it was considered to be of a higher quality similar to that of older masters in the field.[1][2] Jahangir said of Abu al-Hasan that he had no equal and for the work done on the frontispiece for his memoires, the emperor bestowed the title Nadir-uz-Saman ("Wonder of the Age") on Abu al-Hasan in 1618.[4]

Abu al-Hasan's main task was the documentation of events at the imperial court, which resulted in many portraits being completed. Portraits were the hallmark of Jahangir’s rule.[5] Not many of Abu al-Hasan's paintings survived, but those that identify him as the artist show that he also worked on a range of subjects, including some everyday scenes[6] and political paintings that showed the emperor and Mughal empire in a positive and powerful light.[7] In addition to original works of art, Abu al-Hasan also retouched other artists' paintings (one such example is below: Dancing Dervishes)[1]

Abu al-Hasan’s career aligned with developments in the style of Mughal paintings.[1] However, when Jahangir's reign came to an end, and Shah Jahan began his rule, Abu al-Hasan's career became less active until 1628 from which point on, there is no evidence of him producing art.[4]

The worksEdit

 
Squirrels in a Plane Tree (c. 1610)
British Library


Study of Saint John the Evangelist, After Albrecht Dürer (c. 1600-1601)

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Completed by the artist at the age of 13, this is considered an accurate study of Albrecht Durer's (a German artist) original.[4]

Brush drawn ink on paper

___


Spotted Forktail, Folio from the Shah Jahan Album (c. 1610-1615)

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Portrays a spotted forktail bird, usually found in the Himalayas, caught in a hunt[1][8] in Jangespur (which is not a known location today) that the emperor demanded be drawn. The gilding along the border decorated with floral motifs, however, was not completed by Abu al-Hasan, but another artist named as Harif by an inscription.[1]

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on silk

___

Jahangir Shoots Malik 'Anbar (c.1620)

Freer Gallery of Art

Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper

___

Emperor Jahangir Triumphing over Poverty (c. 1620-1625)

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper

___

Darbar Scene of Jahangir (c. 1615)

Freer Gallery of Art

Abu al-Hasan doesn't label the globe, but puts it under Emperor Jahangir's feet and gives the emperor a key to the globe. The inscription reads, "The key of victory over the two worlds is entrusted in his hand".[7]

Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper

___

Allegorical Representation of Emperor Jahangir and Shah 'Abbas of Persia ( c. 1618)

Freer Gallery of Art

This political painting was inspired, according to Abu al-Hasan, by a dream. It depicts Jahangir and Abbas in a situation in which Mughal emperor, Jahangir, is in a more powerful position, standing on a lion, embracing the shorter Shah Abbas of Iran (his cousin) who is standing on a small lamb and cannot fully reach around Jahangir's body. In reality the two were enemies vying over territory in Afghanistan and this scene did not actually occur.[9][7]

Opaque watercolor, ink, silver and gold on paper

___

The Mughal Emperor Jahangir with Radiant Gold Halo, Holding a Globe (c. 1617)

Sotheby's Picture Library, London

Cartographic artifacts, such as the globe in this painting, were regarded as distinguished and could increase the reputation of the owner or holder of such an object. It was as much a symbol of royalty as a crown. This artwork was painted in Mandu. The Persian verses espouse the emperor's greatness in the context of other world empires. In this painting, the globe isn't labeled.[7] This painting's image measures 197 x 128.5 cm and is the largest known Mughal painting.

Gouache with gold on fine cotton

___

Squirrels in a Plane Tree (c. 1610)

British Library

One of the most famous painting associated with Abu al-Hasan's name, Squirrels in a Plane Tree, is a depiction of animal posture and movement. The painting depicts European squirrels unknown in India. The signature on the painting is unclear: Nadir al-Asr ("Miracle of the Age") is the title of Ustad Mansur, not of Abu al-Hasan, but the painting is not in Ustad Mansur's style. It is possible that both painters collaborated on this painting.[6]

Gouache on Paper

___

Jahangir entertains Abbas (c. 1620)

Freer Gallery of Art

Although the scene depicted in this painting never took place, it shows the reception of the Safavid Shah 'Abbas I by the Mughal emperor. Within the painting are many objects and people used to elevate the Mughal court and Emperor Jahangir, such as international imagery and status symbols. One example is the Diana Automaton.[10] This painting became a part of the St. Petersburg album when it, and many other Mughal artworks, were seized by Nader Shah in 1739.[11]

Opaque watercolor, gold and ink on paper

___

Jahangir as the Queller of Rebellion (ca. 1623)

Was in an exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum, October 21,1987-February 14,1988

Jahangir with a halo around his head, holds a globe with a royal seal on it while dressed in a Mughal outfit. The painting portrays the emperor after he successfully put an end to a rebellion led by one of his sons, Prince Shah Jahan.[1]

Unknown

___

Dancing Dervishes (mid-sixteenth century / c. 1610)

Was in an exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum, October 21,1987-February 14,1988

This painting is attributed to Aqa-Miraq (mid-sixteenth century) but was painted over, most likely, by Abu al-Hasan (c. 1610). It portrays a Mevlevi Sema' Ceremony, an event filled with music, dance, and ritual.[1]

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

GalleryEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Welch, Stuart Cary; Schimmel, Annemarie; Swietochowski, Marie L.; Thackston, Wheeler M. (1987). The Emperors' album: images of Mughal India. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. OCLC 893699157.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Beach, Milo Cleveland (24 September 1992). Mughal and Rajput Painting. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/chol9780521400275. ISBN 978-0-521-40027-5.
  3. "1600–1660: Mughal painting and the rise of local workshops", Mughal and Rajput Painting, The New Cambridge History of India, Cambridge University Press, pp. 68–156, 24 September 1992, doi:10.1017/chol9780521400275.006, ISBN 978-0-521-40027-5, retrieved 13 May 2021
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Study of Saint John the Evangelist, After Albrecht Dürer". www.metmuseum.org. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  5. "1600–1660: Mughal painting and the rise of local workshops", Mughal and Rajput Painting, The New Cambridge History of India, Cambridge University Press, pp. 68–156, 24 September 1992, doi:10.1017/chol9780521400275.006, ISBN 978-0-521-40027-5, retrieved 13 May 2021
  6. 6.0 6.1 Potter, Polyxeni (September 2009). "Never Has There Been a Shade1". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 15 (9): 1541–1542. doi:10.3201/eid1509.000000. ISSN 1080-6040. PMC 2819890.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Ramaswamy, Sumathi (October 2007). "Conceit of the Globe in Mughal Visual Practice". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 49 (4): 751–782. doi:10.1017/s0010417507000758. ISSN 0010-4175. S2CID 144619248.
  8. ""Spotted Forktail", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album". www.metmuseum.org. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  9. "Allegorical representation of Emperor Jahangir and Shah Abbas of Persia from the St. Petersburg Album". Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  10. Keating, Jessica (17 August 2015). "Metamorphosis at the Mughal Court". Art History. 38 (4): 732–747. doi:10.1111/1467-8365.12178. ISSN 0141-6790.
  11. "Jahangir Entertains Shah Abbas from the St. Petersburg Album". Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Retrieved 21 May 2021.

External linksEdit