Blossoms from the Desert: Three Centuries of Rajput Painting

6 October–6 December 1987

The Rajput were the ruling Indian warrior class who divided their territory into small princely states. Although there are broad stylistic differences in the paintings produced by these separate states, they have important features in common, including their use of vivid colors and exclusive use of religious subject matter. An invasion by the Mughals in the mid-16th century became a decisive influence on the Rajput princes, who imitated the Mughal emperor, Akbar, in the establishment of smaller painting schools in their own courts. The Mughal style of painting differed strongly from the Rajput in its realistic depiction of secular and historical subjects. The exhibition consisted of 20 miniatures on loan from the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago and one Mughal style miniature from the Smart Museum’s permanent collection. The exhibition was coordinated with the Department of Art and the Committee on Southern Asian Studies of the University of Chicago.

Curator: Marion Covey, a graduate art history student, with the assistance of Carol Bolon, Assistant Professor of Art and South Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago. 

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