Ustad Mansur

Ustad Mansur (died 1624) was a seventeenth-century Indian painter and naturalist who served as a Mughal court artist. During this period, he excelled at depicting plants and animals, was the earliest artist to depict the dodo in colour, and was the first to illustrate the Siberian crane. Towards the end of Akbar's reign, he gained the title of ustad (master) and during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir his masterpieces earned him the title of Nãdir-al-’Asr (Unequalled of the age). Although he was largely known for his natural history illustrations, he also portrayed people in various manuscript illustrations.