Exhibition: Miniature paintings evoke grandeur of times past

A collection of rare photo raphs, miniature portraits and collectors’ items were displayed at Gallery 6.

ISLAMABAD:

Depicting the grandeur of a bygone era, an exhibition featuring miniature paintings and other collectors’ items opened at Gallery 6 on Saturday.

The miniature paintings, made by Hafiz Muhammad Amin and Sheikh Moin, are portraits of British and Indian royal families that are nearly 70 to 80 years old. Viewing the gallery of famous personalities of the sub-continent, gives the feeling that one has travelled into the past.

Some of the miniature paintings on ivory are so minutely detailed that they must be viewed through a magnifying glass.

However miniature is not the only option for collectors, there is a collection of photographs of famous personalities, such as Queen Victoria and Bahadur Shah Zafar, and aerograph pens, that are used for miniature paintings.

“I have been preserving these since they were passed down to me and it has taken me years. I now feel it’s time to let collectors own them so that they are better taken care of,” said Muhammad Mansoor, Amin’s great grandson, as he shows a Macmillan Urdu Atlas so rare that even the Macmillan company has no record of it.

Amin who was born in 1850, established “SM Artist Co.” specialising not only in paintings of water and oil colours, but also in miniature paintings on canvas and ivory. Moin, on the other hand, was born in 1897 and followed in the footsteps of his father. Both Amin and Moin, were well-known artists and mainly painted miniature portraits of British and Indian royal families.

Commenting on the miniatures, Dr Arjumand Faisal, the gallery’s curator said, “They are just stunning; one gets mesmerised by the spectacular work that reflects the magnificent skills of Sheikh Amin and Sheikh Moin in miniature painting.” The exhibition will continue till September 23 (today) from 11am to 7pm at House 19, Street 10, F-8/3.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2012.