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Camel fight Graphite on Paper Size: 22 x 30

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I thought this piece offered a look at the depth this medium can offer and after looking through a lot of Bashir Ahmeds art this one just kind of stands out.

This piece "camel fight" graphite on paper stands out as a larger piece a piece much larger than the standard Mughal canon size tradition 22 x 30 is a more modern size for paper and is about the size of what most people in the west would describe as a medium painting. This piece also shows similarity to the many manuscripts seen in class specifically lion fights bull. this artwork piece is also used in many of the articles about the life and work of Bashir Ahmed. the choice to do work in the medium of graphite which is to my understanding through research not a standard item to use which lends credence to things said on the site of the Clifton art gallery about Bashir Ahmed choice and want to leave and evolve what artist's can do with the modernazation of the traditional art form. this piece is also brought up quite a bit when taking about the graphite work of Bashir Ahmed

https://cliftonartgallery.com/artist/bashir-ahmed/

https://www.epicartgallery.pk/bashir-ahmed/

https://www.saichicago.org/exhibition/materials-metaphors-and-miniatures

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Relaxing Medium: Graphite on BoardSize: 10.5 x 8

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The figure is what drew me to this piece and when put into the context of an exhibition the contortions of the figure and the background depth will keep viewers eyes.

This piece shows off the stubborn adherence to traditional subject matter Bashir Ahmed is known for. While the medium and execution via that medium divert from the traditional being that of graphite on paper versus the usual painting folio size. the subject matter of the piece is similar to other pieces shown in class during the Mughal period. The subject lacks more contemporary proportions and has a bit of depth but is overall more flat than a drawing of a real figure or one that would be produced in a more modern piece. the background also shows what one can come to expect from Bashir Ahmeds black and white Mughal inspired art. while in general in both my research and the pieces shown in class the Mughal miniature was in color many of the tell tale elements make themselves known in this piece. from the subject positioning to the patterned grass to the flat layers of hills in the background of the piece

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1811/persian-miniature-painting/

https://www.saichicago.org/exhibition/materials-metaphors-and-miniatures

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Polo Player I Medium: Graphite on PaperSize: 22 x 30

This piece continues the black and white seen in the earlier two pieces but also shows how the artist renders animals and humans together kind of acting as a culmination and evolution of the pieces featured in front of it

This piece once again shows the add-on of using more standard size. the figures in this piece once again offer a look into the choices at least in the graphite medium of Bashir Ahmed's work. Once again we see flat figures the horse however is slightly more expressive in the character. the background is similar in reminding me of The court of Gayumars from the Shanama the background is gradations of color and only particularly impactful elements are given detail reminding me of how the design of previous Islamic miniatures and Illuminated manuscripts. The artist also seems to take great pride in the amount of time the graphite pieces take.

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1811/persian-miniature-

painting/

https://www.epicartgallery.pk/bashir-ahmed/

https://smarthistory.org/the-mughal-painting-tradition-an-introduction/

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Bashir Ahmed has made many black and white miniature peices made using graphite on paper. This shows the choice of Mughal dynasty subject matter with the more contemporary medium of graphite and paper showing some evolution of ideas along with non traditional media

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Persian Prince Mixed Media on Canvas Size: 26 x 34

This piece offered a look at the colored work of Bashir Ahmed but also shows off how in this and the next work the background will break the scene offering it a new visual feeling. This piece in the choice of colors reminded me of the piece jahangir prefers sufi shakh over kings the reason the peice does this for me is because of the position of the Persian Prince and the turqouis color reminds me of the background of the previously named piece. the piece also incorporates the border like most other Bashir Ahmed works in this style.

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1811/persian-miniature-painting/

https://www.saichicago.org/exhibition/materials-metaphors-and-miniatures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO9IkkjQhso

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Freedom Medium: Acrylic on CanvasSize: 48 x 34

just like above in the black and white section since people and animals are the major subjects featured in the work of Bashir Ahmed it's only fair to continue by showing that but by switching the order from the first section a visual pattern will develop forcing the eye through all the pieces also the background is broken once again.

this piece offered a solid look into how animals are depicted by Bashir Ahmed and how he renders certain aspects the grass shows more detail than any older piece that I have seen in my research into the Mughal iconography. the animals here though still stick with the traditional subject matter shown in former pieces in the Mughal period but also the subjects seen in other artworks of the artists work. the border is also an amalgamation of the artists blending pot of ideas this is seen in the choice of having a more contemporary border surrounding the artwork.

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1811/persian-miniature-painting/

https://www.saichicago.org/exhibition/materials-metaphors-and-miniatures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO9IkkjQhso

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Bashir Ahmed has made many pieces featuring color from humans seen in the Persian Prince to landscapes seen in the landscapes. the pieces below are picked to show how Bashir Ahmed uses visual motifs from periods past with a flare for the modern concepts of subject and depth

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Three Trees under the Moon Medium: Oil on Canvas Size: 20 x 24

this piece offered a unique look at the landscape artwork created by Bashir Ahmed.

this artwork by the artist offers an interesting look at how Bashir Ahmed may have done more abstract pieces. Because despite how abstracted the piece seem s the name and idea call back not only to the subject matter of the Mughal period that Ahmed seems to idolize but also to the straight forward name conventionsthat the artist gives to pieces of artwork he produces. the obscuring of the nature allows for the viewer to have more of a role in deciding what this artwork is supposed to mean.

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1811/persian-miniature-painting/

https://smarthistory.org/the-mughal-painting-tradition-an-introduction/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO9IkkjQhso

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Village in Peace Medium: Oil on Canvas Size: 23.1 x 29.3

this show the range of the artists landscape art but also shows depth perspective and a masterful use of color and contrast.

This piece shows how even when exiting traditional descriptions of the artworks done by Bashir Ahmed. The artist still uses subject matter traditional to the dynasties of the Islamic world in the design of the building and the natural elements. the piece also shows how the artist uses the ideas of depth something that was still not showing up in the later era of the Mughal miniature painting traditions. This is important because it shows how Bashir Ahmed throughout his career would take things he was getting from the miniatures of those who came before him. in this specifc piece he takes subject matter and landscape and applies depth to the main piece before allowing the clouds to flatten out more.

https://www.epicartgallery.pk/bashir-ahmed/

https://cliftonartgallery.com/bashir-ahmed-2-2/

https://www.saichicago.org/exhibition/materials-metaphors-and-miniatures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO9IkkjQhso

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Pollo player II Medium: Graphite on Paper
Size: 22 x 30

This is the companion to the previous piece shown it offers a nice context but also offers connection to help viewers through the piece. This also helps illustrate via example some of the choice of changing traditional aspects in class and from a basic Google search and the sources I used diptychs or pieces playing off one another are more of a European tradition and may link back to the idea of Bashir Ahmeds non Islamic influences mentioned in some of the sources.

This piece uses pretty much all of the tricks seen in the previous pieces in the black and white art category. However, I see it as the culmination of the technique seen in the previous pieces with the most expressive figure and the most fully realized scene. to connect to the more traditional aspects of the artists work the piece holds similarities once again in the factor of subject matter being the horse and the figure. the boarder holds more similarities at least to me to in European art traditions.

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1811/persian-miniature-painting/

https://thefridaytimes.com/04-Aug-2017/the-enigma-of-ustad-bashir-ahmed

https://smarthistory.org/the-mughal-painting-tradition-an-introduction/

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Bashir Ahmed has dedicated his life to the furthering and teaching of the art of Mughal miniature paintings. the theme of this artist is based in the ideas of upholding certain aspects of tradition while casting others away despite many of his critics saying the peices are to similar to one another and to previous Mughal pieces I disagree. to sum up his work in a style of thesis. Bashir Ahmed uses the visual language of the previous periods of Islamic art specifically the Mughals but brings it up to the modern sensibility and artistic impression.

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Bashir Ahmed was born in 1954 in Lahore Pakistan.  In the beginning of Bashir Ahmed's career he worked in the restoration of original Mughal miniatures.  This would obviously leak into the later career of the artist as his whole body of work is surrounded by the idea of keeping the old style of Mughal miniature painting alive and elevating the old art form despite what critics may say. Bashir Ahmed received his diploma of arts in the year 1974. Bashir Ahmed is an artist exhibited both in his home country and internationally.  Bashir Ahmed is also known as the creator of the first ever bachelor degree specifically in miniature painting.  A quote from Bashir Ahmed helps act as a conclusion to this idea the quote is “The biggest legacy of my commitment to the miniature painting [art form] is that famous names of the contemporary miniature artists [who] are my students or they know the work I have done in miniature paintings,.   Ahmed also spent time early on in his career learning how to take care of and restore Mughal era miniature paintings.  He retired from teaching in 2014. Bashir Ahmed believed that if the art of miniature art wasn't taught the art form would no longer to continue to exist. The artist in the last few years has seemed to take a step back from both teaching and art.  The reason Bashir Ahmed seemed to want to branch out from his niche of colorful Mughal paintings was because of boredom and his students. Finally the artist has used his life to create and elevate the art form that he loves this I believe at least is seen in the pieces depicted throughout the padlet from the piece Camel fight  to the colored artworks like Persian Prince .

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https://www.albawaba.net/entertainment/saving-traditional-art-from-dying-bashir-ahmad-pakistan-1019434

https://cliftonartgallery.com/bashir-ahmed-2-2/

https://www.epicartgallery.pk/bashir-ahmed/

https://thefridaytimes.com/04-Aug-2017/the-enigma-of-ustad-bashir-ahmed