Ustad Mansur

Ustad Mansur  was a leading painter in Emperor Jahangir’s court who was famous for depicting plants and animals.. He was extremely talented and valued for his immaculate depiction of the natural world. His works largely avoided any personal expressions and are highly priced for their scientific accuracy and precision. Emperor bestowed the title of  Nadir-ul-‘Asr (“Miracle of the Age”) on him.

Mansur was assigned to document all plants and animals during trips of emperor whom he accompanied on some of his travels. In one of his memoirs, Jahangir has stated that the during his Kashmir trip, Mansur had painted over 100 flowers. Most of the works assigned to him were unsigned but the emperor recognized his unmistakable skill and honored him accordingly.  His name was suffixed in some early miniatures as Naqqash indicating that he came from a family of professional artists.  He was associated with other artists of the period including Basawan, Miskina and Nanha. His name does not find place ion Baburnama or Akbarnama.

Most important paintings were of Siberian Crane and Dodo. The latter was an important source of reference for Zoologists till date. The Siberian Crane painted on paper is highly intricate showing the wrinkles on the bare skin, the legs and a small feather stuck to the claw.