Painters, Paintings and Books : An Essay on Indo-Persian Technical Literature, 12-19th Centuries

The work brings the Persian texts into the study of the arts and technology of the Indo-lranian world - an approach much neglected so far.

Drawing upon Persian sources (both from Iran and India), viz., technical treatises, historical chronicles and poetical texts, the work deals with painting and the art of book making during twelfth to nineteenth century. The introduction presents the geographical and chronological dimensions of the study.

After a brief history of Persian painting before the twelfth century, the book discusses mural painting, manuscripts, origin of paper and its fabrication, the composition of the page, colours/pigments used in the paintings, painting subjects, bookbinding, etc. The painter, man and artist, his origin, his training, his status, aesthetics and taste, his workshop and its organisation and distribution of tasks therein, modular construction of the manuscripts, library, the calligraphy surrounding the painting, its illuminations and binding are all analysed. The book reconstructs the entire process of making an illustrated manuscript from its ground work to its binding.

Please note: This title is co-published with Manohar Publishers, New Delhi.

Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka