Abu al-Hasan

Background

He was the son of Aqa Reza of Hera.

Career

The subjects of his paintings are very diverse - from historical legends to domestic scenes, but most often it is the episodes of court life and portraits.

Abu al-Hasan was initially trained by the emperor himself in his large studios and workshops but soon surpassed his father and his employer. Jahangir said of him that he had no equal and bestowed the title Nadir-uz-Saman ("Wonder of the Age") on him.

Abu al-Hasan's main task was the documentation of events at the imperial court, which resulted in many superb portraits. Not many of Abu al-Hasan's paintings survived, but those that identify him as the artist show that he also worked on a range of subjects including some everyday scenes.

Achievements

The most famous painting associated with his name, "Squirrels in a Plane Tree" held in the British Library is a masterful depiction of animal posture and movement that could only have been derived from direct observation.
1610
1616-17
1618

One of the most famous of his masterpieces.
1620
1615
1615
1618-20
1614
1617
1604-1610