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First,
a confession has to be made. I did not know a single
thing about the art of Mughal Miniature Painting, or for that
matter any sort of painting. This project, initially set out not
to be an explanation of the art of mughal miniature painting,
but rather to be a personal account of the life of a family of
artists.
It all began when I met Firoz Sahab. He seated me in his art gallery at his
Zakkir Nagar residence. I explained to him what I had set out to do. And
that was all the cue that Firoz Sahab needed.
From
then on he led me through the history of his family (the
descendants of Mansur), his art, his experiences
by way of family heirlooms and -an eloquent tongue with which he
explained everything to me so that everything
became crystal clear.
In
his own words, "If someone leaves my house dissatisfied, that
dissatisfaction pains Firoz".
Thus it is only
befitting that the first page of this project be
dedicated to him.
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