Naturalism and Mannerism in Indian Miniatures

Art historical commentary on work of South Asia, India in particular, has frequently focused on the temples and stupas of the region, or in some cases on cave work and other such sites. There is, however, a remarkable tradition of Indian miniature painting (many of these works being only inches or so on a side), in both the Hindu and Muslim traditions, that dates back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In perhaps an excess of zeal, the commentary on these works employs an even more pronounced Eurocentrism than is found in much of the critical work on other Indian art: the