Album folio of a pink lotus by Anonymous

Album folio of a pink lotus c. 18th century

painting, watercolor

organic

water colours

painting

asian-art

watercolor

This 18th-century Mughal miniature painting depicts a pink lotus flower with delicate details. The artist, whose identity is unknown, expertly captures the bloom’s vibrant color and intricate form with delicate brushstrokes. The composition is framed within a multi-layered border of red and green, reminiscent of Mughal artistry. The painting showcases the Mughal tradition of botanical illustration, where natural elements are rendered with meticulous accuracy and a refined aesthetic.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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There are many ways to contextualize this fluidly painted flower. It is said that flowers became an important painting genre in the Mughal studios after the Emperor Jehangir (reign 1605–27) encountered the springtime flora of the Kashmir Valley in northwestern India. This also coincided with the arrival of European floral prints brought by Jesuit missionaries. Already, floral sprays were a primary element in Mughal (reign 1526–1857) decorative arts, inspired by the pervasive floral environments of the paradisal gardens described in Islamic texts. Here, the painter imaginatively interprets a pink lotus, which is associated with purity in many South Asian belief systems.