Delhi, the capital city of India, has undoubtedly become one of the art hubs of the country. The rising number of art galleries that are mushrooming in the city is a proof of this. Among all, the miniature paintings hold a special place. Delhi owes the origin of the miniature paintings to the miniature paintings of the Mughals. These paintings portray the culture that was influenced by the Mughals. The art galleries of Delhi have a sizable collection of Mughal inspired miniature paintings.
Mughal Inspiration
The Mughal artists have made a significant contribution to painting. There were various painting schools during the reign of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal ruler. The schools followed a unique style of their own. Mughal paintings exhibit a fine blend of the Indian and Persian style. This style of painting emerged from Persian miniature painting, with Indian Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist influences, and developed largely in the court of the Mughal Empire (16th - 19th centuries), and later spread to other Indian courts. The subjects of miniature paintings during the Mughals comprised of portraits, court scenes, flora and fauna.
Iranian style was also an inspiration. Artists, like, Imam Bakhsh, Dip Chand and Chitarman made major contributions in the field of art and enriched the Mughal painting. The Delhi paintings done on ivory like that of the European miniatures were very popular. Zulfikar AH Khan had created such paintings. Ismail Khan and Ghulam Husain Khan are counted among the best miniature painters of Delhi.
Miniature Painting on Marble
Miniature marble paintings are created on a piece of white marble. A light-weight tile of marble with a smooth surface is required for these kinds of paintings. Usually complicated images of human figures, landscapes, animals and objects are created on marble stone. The concept of marble painting originated in Rajasthan during the 16th century. Miniature marble paintings are also called as "poetry in stone". There are a number of schools in Delhi that train students in marble painting like Delhi College of Arts, Capital College of Fine Arts, Laxmi Singla Art and Craft etc.
Art Galleries of Delhi
The city houses an impressive number of art centres and galleries for the painting-lovers, collectors, academicians, scholars, researchers or investors. They have a decent collection of Mughal miniature paintings, marble paintings and paper paintings. In addition to these, they also exhibit abstract art and contemporary art.
Some of the popular art galleries of Delhi are M.E.C. Art Gallery, Ashok Art Gallery, Anant Art Gallery, Jharokha Art Gallery, Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, AIFACS Gallerey, Art Heritage, Art Indus, Art Today, Aurobindo Gallery, Delhi Art Gallery, Dhoomimal Art Gallery, Eicher Gallery, Garhi Studio, National Gallery of Modern Art, The Village Gallery, Vadhera Art Gallery etc. In addition to these, a number of exhibitions are also organised in the city at hotels like Hyatt Regency, Maurya Sheraton, Oberoi Hotel and Ashok Hotel, etc.
