Crepe Ginger Plant c. 1780
sheikhzainaldin
simple decoration style
natural stone pattern
water colours
pastel soft colours
egg art
handmade artwork painting
coffee painting
watercolour bleed
watercolour illustration
watercolor
"Crepe Ginger Plant," a botanical illustration by Sheikh Zain al-Din from around 1780, is a stunning example of Mughal art. The delicate details of the ginger plant's leaves and flower are captured with precision, showcasing the artist's keen observation of nature. The use of watercolor creates a sense of realism and depth, while the pale cream background further accentuates the plant's beauty. This artwork is a testament to the Mughal era's fascination with flora and fauna, and its inclusion in the Minneapolis Institute of Art's collection highlights the enduring appeal of this style of botanical art.
Comments
The famed ‘Impey Album,’ to which these 11 natural history studies originally belonged, marks the beginning of a new school in the canon of Indian Painting: that is “Company Painting’’—so called after the British East India Company, which by 1757 had taken effective rule over the sub-continent—spanning from c. 1760-1880 and distinguished by native painters adapting to the needs of Colonial tastes. The result was an emergence of a distinctive Anglo-Indian aesthetic, which we see in the remarkable paintings here. Between 1777-1783, Lady Mary Impey, wife of the recently appointed Chief Justice of Bengal, Sir Elijah Impey, commissioned three artists: a Muslim, Shaik Zain ud-Din, and two Hindus, Bhawani Das and Ram Das (all of whom trained in a Provincial Mughal atelier in the neighboring city of Patna) to record the newfound wonders of her Calcutta aviary and menagerie.
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