February 2024

Adorned like a Meadow: Flowers in 17th century Mughal Albums

Article written for the online exhibition Bagh-e Hind curated by Bharti Lalwani and Nicolas Roth.

If the exhibition Bagh-e Hind has demonstrated anything, it is the predominant role of flowers in Indian culture. Given the luxuriant vegetation of Northern India, combined to rich literary, poetic and artistic substrates, it was only a matter of time before the Mughal emperors developed an interest in the representation of flowers. This short and non-exhaustive essay offers to narrate the birth of Mughal flower painting through the lens of some of its protagonists in India, Persia and Europe.

“Bagh-e Hind is an exhibition that explores the possibility of smelling and tasting the sumptuous intangible aspects of South Asian history.”

Bharti Lalwani, Art Critic & Perfumer, Curator of Bagh-e Hind

“Our recreations of olfactory moments as depicted in a series of historic paintings are informed by academic study – of art, history, literature, and botany – as well as a lifetime of practical gardening experience.”

Nicolas Roth, Gardener-Scholar of early modern South Asia, Co-Curator & Academic Consultant, Bagh-e Hind

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