Indian sculpture and painting, illustrated by typical masterpieces, with an explanation of their motives and ideals . t decoration. For the conventionalismof these paintings is that of a degenerate schoolwhich has ceased to look for and love the beautyof animate nature, and relapsed instead into aroutine of mechanical formality. Especially in the drawing of the human figurewe miss entirely the wonderful sincerity and truth-fulness in movement and in expression which givean indefinable charm to the conventionalism ofthe early Indian fresco paintings. The Calcutta Art Gallery has, however, somep
Indian sculpture and painting, illustrated by typical masterpieces, with an explanation of their motives and ideals . t decoration. For the conventionalismof these paintings is that of a degenerate schoolwhich has ceased to look for and love the beautyof animate nature, and relapsed instead into aroutine of mechanical formality. Especially in the drawing of the human figurewe miss entirely the wonderful sincerity and truth-fulness in movement and in expression which givean indefinable charm to the conventionalism ofthe early Indian fresco paintings. The Calcutta Art Gallery has, however, somepaintings belonging to the Persian school of theearly sixteenth century which show that by thattime the true spirit of Indian art had begun toassert itself in the Muhammadan world. In thepicture of a music party at the Court of SultanMuhammad Tughlak, painted by Shapur, ofKhorrasan in 1534, Plate LIV., we feel again thesimple delight in the beauty of Nature, and thewhole-hearted desire to be one with it, whichbreathe in the paintings of Ajanta and the PLATE LIV A NAUTCH PARTY ATTHE COURT OFSULTAN MUHAM-MAD TUGLAK. EARLY MOGUL MINIATURES 191 sculptures of B6r6budlir. The rhythm of the move-ment of the figures responding to the rhythm ofthe colour-scheme, make up a delightful harmony,Though severely conventional in composition, thegroup of musicians and dancing-girls is yet fullof spontaneous grace. Their gentle gaiety andyouthful light-heartedness tell us that the artisthas penetrated beyond the usual squalid atmo-sphere of an oriental court; he bids us rejoice withhim in lifes unsullied spring-time, and listen tothe music of the spheres. The drawing of a wounded lion, a fragment ofa hunting-scene of the same school and period,recalls the vigour and truth of the ancient sculp-tures of Nineveh, These, however, do not strictlybelong to the Mogul art of India, though they in-dicate one of the sources of its inspiration. Itwas not until the time of Akbar and of his sonJahangir, that
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