Persian Miniature Painting

Timeline

1. c. 1300–1370Tabriz · East Azerbaijan ProvinceUnder Ilkhanate court patronage, Persian and Chinese painting elements merged, forming an early miniature composition and color system that laid the technical foundation for Timurid-era illustration art.
2. c. 1405–1430Herat · Herat ProvinceShahrukh established his capital at Herat and vigorously patronized book production; the Khurasan school developed elegant figure modeling and elaborate border decoration in court manuscripts, becoming the classic paradigm of Timurid miniature painting.
3. 1431–1440Herat · Herat ProvinceThe large-scale Qur'an and epic manuscript projects overseen by Prince Baysunghur (d. 1433) reached their peak in this decade; painters such as Kawam al-Din produced meticulous illustrations and illumination, representing one of the highest levels of Timurid miniature painting.
4. c. 1500–1650Isfahan · Isfahan ProvincePainters descended from Timurid descendants went south to India to participate in building the Mughal court, while the Safavid Isfahan workshops continued and innovated the Persian illustration tradition; miniature techniques became a visual language spanning South and West Asia.