When the 1500s began, the dominant style of Indian painting was flat and abstract with a limited, mainly primary color palette. By the 1520s, a new style emerged with greater narrative complexities and dramatic energy that was to be foundational for later developments. Concurrently, some artists began working in the pastel palette and with delicate motifs reinterpreted from Persian art.
Then, around 1560, with the exuberant patronage of the third Mughal emperor Akbar (born 1542, reigned 1556–1605), artists from different parts of the empire and trained in a variety of Indian styles came together in a new imperial painting workshop. The workshop was led by Persian masters brought from the imperial court in Iran. The formation of Mughal painting shaped by Akbar’s taste for drama and realism had a lasting impact on the cultural life of India. With its naturalism and vibrant compositions, the revolutionary new style was distinct from its predecessors, both Indian and Persian. The paintings in this gallery trace the dramatic changes that occurred during the 1500s alongside compositions that artists chose to retain and reinvent. Central to this story is a manuscript of the Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot), an illustrated collection of fables made for Akbar around 1560–65 now in the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Cuyahoga County

United States

Cleveland

Searching for information and tickets regarding Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations | The Cleveland Museum of Art taking place in Cleveland on Mar 15, 2025–Jan 11, 2026 (UTC-5)? Trip.com has you covered. Check the dates, itineraries, and other information about Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations | The Cleveland Museum of Art now! Trip.com has also prepared more similar exciting activities and discounted flight and hotel packages.

Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations | The Cleveland Museum of Art: Tickets, Dates & Itineraries | Trip.com

Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations | The Cleveland Museum of Art

Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations

Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations | Trip.com

null | Trip.com

Share your results and see what your friends think!

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Themed exhibition halls

柔实先生

The free exhibition, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, is a great place to enjoy some of the best works in the world, including original drawings.

The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

Downtown

M29***21

A city in the middle of China, close to the lake, very quiet, the university here is also very beautiful, the Cleveland Clinic is very big and famous, there is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we drove and saw the villas here are in groups, very beautiful and very distinctive. A livable city.

Recommended Products for Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations | The Cleveland Museum of Art

Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations | The Cleveland Museum of Art

Details

Vote

Are you interested in Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations?

Recommended Products for Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations | The Cleveland Museum of Art

Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

Downtown

Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations | The Cleveland Museum of Art

Details

Vote

Are you interested in Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations?

Recommended Products for Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations | The Cleveland Museum of Art

Indian Painting of the 1500s: Continuities and Transformations

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland

Downtown

More contents about Cleveland