VISIONS OF MUGHAL INDIA

Howard Hodgkin has been a passionate collector of Indian paintings since his schooldays, and his collection has long been considered one of the finest of its kind in the world. At times he has devoted as much effort to developing his collection as to his own work as a painter.

The collection comprises most of the main types of Indian court painting that flourished during the Mughal period (c.1550-1850), including the refined naturalistic works of the imperial Mughal court, the poetic and subtly coloured paintings of the Deccani Sultanates, the boldly drawn and vibrantly coloured styles of the Rajput kingdoms of Rajasthan and the Punjab Hills.

Published to accompany an exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum, 9 February to 15 April 2012.