Mir Sayyid Ali Master of Tabriz
Mir Sayyid Ali,the master of miniature painting and founder of Mughal school of painting started his career in Persia. Initially Mir worked in the ateliers of the Safavid monarchs Shah Ismail and Shah Tahmasp, before joining the Mughal Emperor Humayun’s temporary court in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1549. And later in 1555, He accompanied the Emperor to Delhi and became the supervisor of the royal atelier.
Mir was born in Tabriz, probably in the second quarter of the 16th century. He was the son of a well-known artist of the Ṣafavid school, Mīr Muṣawwir of Solṭānīyeh who introduced Mirto painting and trained him to become master of his field. Though many scholars believe that Mir was more important and talented artist than his father but, the initial influence of skill and technique of his father inspired his work apparent in many of his paintings.
He went to India at the invitation of the Mughal emperor Humāyūn, arriving first in Kābul and from there going on to Delhi. He and ʿAbd-uṣ-Ṣamad instructed the artists of the imperial atelier, most of them Indians, and superintended the production of the giant “miniatures” illustrating the Dāstān-e Amīr Ḥamzeh (“Stories of Amīr Ḥamzeh”), a colossal undertaking that consisted of some 1,400 paintings, each of unusually large size. Mīr Sayyid ʿAli, together with his fellow countryman ʿAbd-uṣ-Ṣamad, helped to found the Mughal school of painting. few of his paintings that have survived were for the most part painted before his arrival in India. They are sufficient, however, to denote him as a highly gifted painter, wielding an unusually delicate brush and possessed of great powers of observation.
Mir Sayyid Ali was a leading artist of Persian miniatures and it is believed that he took part in the illustration of the famous Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp created in 1525–48 for Shah Tahmasp I .At least two of its miniatures are attributed to the artistmore over he was among the best artists involved in the creation of the lavish illustrations for the manuscript of Khamsa of created in 1539–43 by order of Shah Tahmasp. Of the 14 miniatures his brush is credited with four, among them “Layla and Majnun”, which bears the signature of the artist. The period around 1540, contains two remarkable works of the master: a picture of the elegant young man holding a letter disclosed, and a diptych (double frontispiece) for the Khamsa of Nizami with “nomad camp of nomads” on one sheet and “Evening Life Palace” on the other.
Mir Sayyid was highly recognized artist of Persian miniature and he was honoured by rulers of his time. his technique, skill and observation washighly admired and everything was going well for the artist until Shah Tahmasp changed his mind. In the 1540s, Shah Tahmasp felt that artistic representation of living things did not go well with his religious beliefs and he gradually lost interest in painting. He finally issued an edict banning secular images throughout the Persian Empire. Artists of his court, including Mir Sayyid Ali, dispersed in all directions. Most took refuge at the court of Shah Tahmasp’s nephew, Sultan Ibrahim Mirza.
In 1543 during the imposed ban on artistic representation of living things by Shah Tahmasp, the Mughal emperor Humayun after losing his throne to Sher Shah Sur arrived in Persia, where Shah Tahmasp gave him a warm welcome and offered him protection. During his stay in Tabriz, Humayun became acquainted with its artists, he was fascinated by their works, and invited two artists to his service. The two artists were Abd al-Samad and Mir Musavvir. However, for some reason instead of Mir Musavvir, the service went to his son Mir Sayyid Ali.
Humayun who had lost his crown in Indian subcontinent did not immediately regain his possessions. As the battle for the recapturing of thrown was going on, the artists served in a Kabul court. Mir Sayyid Ali arrived there in 1549, lived and worked there for as long as the Humayun’s army regained Delhi. Mir arrived in Delhi and along with ʿAbd-uṣ-Ṣamad instructed and supervised the artists. The period of the artist’s life in Kabul today carries very few works, among them “Portrait of a young writer”. Mir Sayyid Ali is considered a master of the genre of portraiture, but Persian portraits were to a large extent conditioned and idealized character than were significantly different from the Mughal portrait, which was much more naturalistic. However, the “Portrait of a young writer” belongs to the best Persian portrait miniatures. Experts from the Los Angeles Museum believe that this may be a self-portrait of the artist.
After Humayun’s accidental death Mir Sayyid Ali continued to supervise the atelier for Humayun’s son, Akbar, who succeeded him to the throne. Akbar was even more passionate lover of portrait miniatures than his father. Sayyid Ali headed the imperial court art initiatives, and under his leadership began one of the most ambitious projects in the book of world history – “Hamzanama” a history of Amir Hamza, the uncle of the prophet Muhammad. The order, which was implemented from 1562 to 1577, was made by Emperor Akbar, and being launched under the leadership of Mir Sayyid Ali, was completed under the supervision of Abd al-Samad, who took over around 1572. The book was divided into fourteen volumes, each of which contained one hundred illustrations, and in total 1400 miniatures. From 1400 miniatures only about 140 miniatures of the work have survived, scattered around in various museums and collections around the world.
Seven years after the start of the large project for a “Hamzanama” that is, approximately in 1569, the artist left the Mughal court, and as a devout Muslim pilgrim went to Mecca. Some researchers believe that he had died during the Hajj, while others say that he returned to the court of Akbar and died in 1580
Mir Sayyid Ali remained faithful to his most cherished Persian tradition of miniature painting and his admirer and king Akbar, under whose throne he worked for an international group of artists who advocated the principles of Persian painting. His work earned him numerous awards and praise. Vizier of Emperor Akbar, Abu’l-Fazl, in his History of Akbar (Akbarnama) speaks of him in the most enthusiastic manner. In al Fadl’s the list of the best artists of the era (he counted more than a hundred) Mir Sayyid Ali was listed at the first place; al Fadl said about him, “His art he learned from his father. From the moment he got to the palace, the king’s favour-beam shone on him. He had distinguished himself by his art … “. The emperor Humayun gave him the honorary title of “Nadir-ul-Mulk” (The Miracle of the kingdom).
