Lubor Hajek

51 color plates 85 pages of additional text. 10 b & w illustrations in text. Goes into the history of the founding of the Moghul school of miniature painting. Interesting book, but wish there were less assumption that the reader knew the history surrounding the time periods. The text is by Lubor Hajek the Photographs are by W. and B. Forman. Designed and Produced by Artia for Spring Books, Spring House, Spring Place, London NW 5, Copyright 1960 by Artia Prague.

Historically, this book states that there was a dearth of art, painting-wise in India from the 7th Century Ajanta art period until the 16th Century and the rise of the Mughal Emperors and Mughal art. As a class it is distinct in and of itself from Persian miniatures.

Most of the present collections referenced in this work come in the main from hitherto unpublished miniatures from the Iranian state collections that were lent to Prague for the 1956 Exhibition and are supplemented in the book by several miniatures belonging to Indian museums lent to the Exhibition of Indian Art organised in Prague in 1955 by the All-Indian Academy of Art, and there are a few folios from Czechoslovak collections.

There is a brief discussion in the book of the historical framework of the time of the art and the Mughal emperors. But the discussions of the art itself and the reasons behind the detail used in the miniatures and the use of compartmentalization within the work and the genres and periods of the school of art make this a great reference as well as the scenes painted of everyday life. I've got books of miniatures of the Mughal school with some of these miniatures, and some of this discussion, but this book puts it in a cogent and precise manner that is readable.

The bibliography could be longer, but the author's knowledge of the subject matter and love of the art form are obviously extensive.… (altro)