Faizan A R

'Last Judgement' by Michelangelo, is a landmark work in art history itself, due to its cultural and spiritual significance. Though it adapts a biblical story, it takes an entirely humanistic approach while doing so, as seen in the designs and expressions for the Virgin Mary…

Gaganendranath Tagore's 'Colour', is exactly as the name suggests: colour. Defying the conventional norm of delivering a finished product as the final painting, this work offers an unfinished and personal artistic study, on which colours work together and which do not, as the final product.…

'Harmony of Nature' by Ma Gun-hu, is an artwork of soft composition and a warm subject. Known for his depiction of animals, birds and other aspects of the natural world, Ma Gun-hu paints a mother dog and its puppy in light and black ink. The…

'Hulagu Khan Giving a Feast and Dispensing Favor Upon the Amirs and Princes' by Lal, Dharam Das and Padarath, is not just a painting, but an examination of the Mughal hierarchy as a whole. By showcasing the different classes of Mughal society with the composition…

'Zafar Mahal' by Ghulam Ali Khan, is a nineteenth century Mughal painting, of the architectural monument of the same name. Inspired by Persian techniques of painting,

'The Qianlong Emperor in Ceremonial Armour on Horseback' by Giuseppe Castiglione, is a Chinese artwork belonging to the Han Qing school of painting, advanced by the artist himself. The artwork makes use of both oriental and European styles of painting in different aspects of the…

'Playing the Flute' by Ren Bonian, is a spin on the 'figure painting' school in China from the 1890s. Belonging to the Shanghai painting movement, Ren Bonian was known for his use of colour and intricate detailing, and blended neo colouring with traditional Chinese ink…

'Rustam Brings the Div King to Kai Kavus for Execution' by Mir Musavvir and Qasim ibn 'Ali, is a miniature from the Shah Tahmasp Shahnama, and a mystical one at that. The painting depicts the story of the execution of the Div King, freshly transformed…

Gaganendranth Tagore, the pioneer of the Cubism movement in India during the time of the Bengal Renaissance and art revival, is who painted 'Meeting at the Staircase'. With this painting, aside from the usual European and Japanese visual elements, the Bengal school of painting gained…

'The Conversion of Saint Paul' by Ludovico Caracci, is a painting that stands out among Italian baroque paintings. Painted in a time where Mannerism was the prominent school of art, Caracci created an entirely new composition, to depict the scene in its emotive motion, with…

'Keechaka and Sairandhri', by MV Dhurandhar, is a gorgeous painting of a not so gorgeous subject. The painting depicts the mythological story of Draupadi and Keechaka, where Drapadi, hiding as the maid Sairandhri, is cornered by the lecherous Keechaka. The artwork stands out due to…

'The Building of Fatehpur Sikri' by the Mughal artists Tulsi and Bhawani, is an artwork that stands out among Mughal miniatures, due to its cultural preservation aspect. Fatehpuri Sikri, during Mughal times, was a haven for intellectuals of all kinds, and this painting takes us…

Charles Demuth's 'I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold', represents his style of painting known as 'Precisionism', on the outside, but in its stylistic elements on the inside, it is French as well as Italian. Inspired from William Carlos Williams' 'The Great Figure', the painting…

'Arrival of Humayun in the City of Lahore' by the Mughal court painters Makra and Mukund, is an emotional painting of grandeur, as it's contextually set during the return of Humayun as emperor after fifteen years of exile. Mukund, a painter known for portraying delicate…

'Portrait of Shah Abu’l-Ma‘ali', by Dust Mohammed, is an unusual portrait due to its colour scheme. It portrays the shah in an unusual posture, and focuses on a yellow colour scheme with a blue robe poking out from inside the yellow. The figure is painted…

'The First Pain' by Silvestro Lega, is a world's misery told from a child's perspective. The painting showcases a child in deep sadness and grief, over the death of a bird which may have been the child's pet. The first pain referenced here, is the…

'Abhiman', by Hemendranath Mazumdar, is a classic example from Mazumdar's favourite topic to paint: the life and love of the women of Bengal. Painted in the classical European style, the artwork portrays a hidden woman covered in her own melancholia. She is depicted as bent…

'Inn and Travelers in Snowy Mountains', the silk landscape painting by Yuan Yao, the nephew of Yuan Jiang, is an artistic marvel in more ways than one. The landscape, set in the mountains, is a grand one painted in the plain and elegant medium of…

Titled by the Art Institute of Chicago, 'A Hindu Festival' by Sevak Ram is a painting that follows suit from the Patna school of painting. He embodied the European influenced Patna painters' style of watercolour and drew festivals and other events like the other painters…

'The Agony in the Garden' by Giovanni Bellini, is a special artwork in terms of Christian faith and hope. The painting shows Jesus Christ knelt in prayer, as John, James and Peter, on lookout, sleep on in the wake of their failed duty. Despite this…

The artwork, 'Portrait of Rabindranath Tagore', is a special one, as this painting of the Bard of Bengal was painted by his own nephew Abanindranath Tagore. This personal relation with the subject, shows through and through in this painting, as Tagore is not portrayed as…

'Siyavush Recounts His Nightmare to Farangis', by Qadimi, is an artwork that's peaceful upfront, while hiding tragedy and a sense of impending doom within it. An illustration from the 'Shahnama', the painting tells the story of the Persian prince Siyavush telling his queen Farangis about…

'Alone', by Kanu Desai, is not just a portrait of a woman, but a portrait of a woman in a tender moment in her life, a moment where she's consumed by her own solitude and melancholy. The artist's wash technique, with the central figure set…

"The Wounding of Khan Kilan by a Rajput during his March" by Miskina and Sarwan, is a Mughal painting, but not in the traditional sense. This Akbarnama chapter illustrates a dark and bloody chapter in Mughal history, the stabbing of Khan Kilan, by placing the…

"Flowers in a Blue Vase", Adolphe Monticelli's still life painting from the 1880s, is a richly coloured pre impressionist painting, with a multitude of shades standing out, having been utilized in good measure. The artwork is textured and heavily painted, as was Monticelli's style of…

'The Marriage of Alexander and Roxane' by II Sodoma, is a classical artwork that represents the Sienese School of Art in a High Renaissance style. The wall painting contains Raphael influences, as seen in the figures and the composition. The serene figure of Roxane is…

'An Apple Exists on Top of a Pot' by Kishida Ryusei, is modern art at its simplest and finest. The painting is simple in composition, style and imagery, but with fine details as ou look closer and closer. Analyzing the context behind the painting is…

'Burchell's Zebra' or 'Equus Quagga Burchelli' is a painting from the collection of the Mughal emperor, Jahangir. The painting depicts the emperor's pet Zebra, gifted to him by Mir Ja'far, who in turn, had procured the animal from travelling Turks. The Emperor was astonished and…

The Chinese Landscape Painting, 'Travelers Among Mountains and Streams', by Fan Kuan, is one of the major surviving examples of the 'Monumental' style of landscape paintings. The painting, done on silken canvas, showcases a mountain of immense scale and grandeur, erupting forth from misty surroundings,…