Visual Resources for Islamic Art & Architecture

Repository: Harvard Fine Arts Library, Special Collections

The Stuart Cary Welch South Asian Photograph Collection consists of approximately 60,000 35mm slide images of Islamic and Indian art, documenting artworks from the most prominent civilizations in the Islamicate world spanning the deserts of Uzbekistan all the way through to the Himalayas and onward to the Indian subcontinent. This exhibition focuses on paintings and illustrations to various Persian and Indian manuscripts which arguably make up the heart of the collection. The most striking elements of these paintings lie in the jewel tones of royal portraiture, the realism and exquisite attention to detail in depictions of nature, the facial expressions of deities and nomads alike, and the lush and vibrant scenes from epics such as Layla and Majnun. In the selections of Safavid and Mughal painting on display here, one can see the integral role of royal patronage in the arts along with the deep intertwining of imperial image cultivation, preservation of culture and religion, and intercultural exchange exemplified in the subject matter of these remarkable works. The exhibit is open during the library hours, and it’s open to Harvard community.