A Young Beauty and an Old Man, c. 1570.

Miniature from Tuhfat al-Ahrar by Jami.

National Library of Russia, St Petersburg.

 

 

Chinghiz Aitmatov was one of the most promising artists in this context. He was attached to the miniature traditions of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences, the Museum of the History of the Peoples of Uzbekistan, the Ulugh Beg Observatory and Museum, and many other edifices. The Navoi poems represent the subject of his paintings; allegories about the arts, life, and tragic death of Ulugh Beg, caravans from faraway countries, popular celebrations, etc.

 

The painter was demanding as far as the choice of his subjects were concerned and would always try to attain a close correspondence between the content and style of his paintings.