MANSUR

flourished 17th century, , India also called Ustad (Master) Mansur a leading member of the 17th-century Jahangir studio of Mughal painters, famed for his animal and bird studies. The emperor Jahangir honoured him with the title Nadir-ul-'Asr (Wonder of the Age), and in his memoirs Jahangir praises Mansur as unique in his generation in the art of drawing. Mansur was primarily a natural history painter who avoided personal expression in his careful studies. Mansur made many studies of natural life under the direct orders of his patron, who was passionately fond of recording the rare specimens that were brought before him. A turkey cock painted about 1612 (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) is attributed to Mansur and marks that bird's first appearance in India. Similarly, while on a trip to the Kashmir Valley, Jahangir ordered Mansur to paint as many varieties of local flowers as possible, stating in his memoirs that the number depicted exceeded 100.