What were the artistic skills of Shah Jahan?
Answers
As Muslim emperors, the Mughals valued education and cultural refinement and became great patrons of the arts. One definitive genre was Mughal painting, largely influenced by Persian miniatures and generally used to illustrate manuscripts of poetry, religion, and philosophy. Architecture was also a major focus.
The Passing of Shah Jahan is a Miniature painting, painted by the Indian artist Abanindranath Tagore in 1902. The painting depicts a scene in which the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan stares upon the Taj Mahal on his deathbed, with his daughter at his feet. Initially involved with the dominant style of European Naturalism, Tagore's mentor Ernest Binfield Havell had introduced him to various types of Indian art. Of these varieties, Tagore was most impressed with old Mughal miniatures, which often featured emotionless, but detailed illustrations of scenes and characters. Incorporating this style with the traditional Indian artistic concept of Bhava', or emotion, Tagore had painted a scene based upon the growing re-interest in Indian history during the British Raj.