Islamic & Indian Art

The Art of Indian Miniature Painting

16 September 2025

Kristina Sanne

Indian miniature painting, delicate in form yet vast in cultural resonance, traces its origins to the illuminated manuscripts of the 9th and 10th centuries. Initially developed to accompany sacred Jain and Buddhist texts, these small-scale works were not meant for display but for intimate contemplation.

The paintings, rendered on palm leaves and later on paper, combined sharp outlines with bold mineral pigments, communicating spiritual narratives with striking clarity.

This December, our Islamic & Indian Art auction features ‘The Collection of a German Enthusiast’, including a collection of Indian miniature paintings collected over a period of 25 years, initially by accident, but then through pure passion, formed as a result of the attraction towards the lively colours and curious portraits. Highlights are many, and include a rare and early painting by the most influential and important painters at the court of Shah Tahmasp, ‘Abd al-’Aziz, early Mughal portraiture, a stunning Polier album page, a large and exciting Rajasthani painting that once belonged to the film producer, Ismail Merchant and some fine examples from the Punjab Hills.

Upcoming Auction

Explore our December 2025 Islamic & Indian Art auction featuring Indian Miniature Paintings & Rare Books from the Collection of a German Enthusiast.

Persian Influence and the Mughal Court

The golden age of miniature painting flourished under the Mughals in the 16th and 17th centuries. When Emperor Humayun returned from exile in Persia, he brought with him Persian master painters, who merged their refined aesthetic with Indian sensibilities. The result was an extraordinary visual language: naturalistic portraits, courtly scenes, and detailed studies of flora and fauna, all imbued with jewel-like colour and exquisite precision.

The Mughal atelier became a crucible of cultural synthesis. Works such as the Akbarnama (the chronicle of Emperor Akbar’s reign) combined narrative sweep with minute detail, celebrating both imperial grandeur and the rhythms of daily life. These images, though miniature in scale, encompassed entire worlds.

Regional Traditions and Stylistic Diversities

As Mughal patronage waned, miniature traditions blossomed in regional courts, each cultivating its own distinctive idiom. In Rajasthan, the Rajput schools of Jaipur, Mewar, and Kishangarh turned to epics and devotional themes. Their paintings were lyrical, suffused with brilliant reds, golds, and greens, and often depicted lovers in moonlit landscapes or gods in cosmic play.

In contrast, the Pahari schools of the Himalayan foothills developed a softer palette and lyrical sensibility. The celebrated Kangra style, in particular, expressed the emotional depth of devotional poetry, the longing of Radha for Krishna captured with tender nuance. These regional schools ensured that miniature painting remained not only a courtly art but also a vehicle for personal devotion and local identity.

Techniques and Materials

Miniature painting was, and remains, a demanding craft. Artists prepared handmade paper or vellum with burnished surfaces. Pigments were ground from semi-precious stones, plants, and minerals: lapis lazuli for blue, malachite for green, and crushed pearls for luminous whites. Brushes, often tipped with a single squirrel hair, allowed for an astonishing precision, the rendering of a single eyelash, the patterning of a textile, or the veins of a leaf.

Decline and Revival

With the advent of colonialism and the collapse of princely courts, the patronage system that had sustained miniature painting dwindled. By the 19th century, photography and Western painting styles eclipsed the form. Yet, in the 20th century, the nationalist movement and a growing global interest in South Asian art spurred a revival. Miniatures began to be collected by museums and connoisseurs, recognised not merely as artifacts of a bygone era but as enduring expressions of India’s cultural imagination.

Department

Islamic & Indian Art

About the Author

Specialist

Kristina Sanne

Consultant Specialist in Islamic & Indian Art

info@lyonandturnbull.com

0131 557 8844