Young Moghul Nobleman Relaxing in a Garden
Artist
Bashir Ahmad (Pakistani, b. 1954)
Date
1995Medium
graphite on paperDimensions
Image : 22 3/4 x 16 5/8 in. (57.78 x 42.23 cm)
Sheet : 30 1/8 x 22 1/4 in. (76.52 x 56.52 cm)Credit Line
Gift of David Kamansky and Gerald WheatonObject Number
2016.57.1
Label
Bashir Ahmad is a contemporary Pakistani artist who draws inspiration from the great tradition of Mughal miniature painting. The Mughals were a Muslim dynasty that ruled much of India between the 16th and 18th centuries. Mughal paintings combined elements of Indian, Persian and European art. They were typically small in size and portrayed subjects ranging from illustrations of famous literary texts to scenes of aristocratic life. Ahmad trained under the descendants of Mughal court artists and learned their exacting techniques. His work, however, is typically larger in size than traditional Mughal paintings and is marked by a wistfully nostalgic tone.