Recollecting Indian Art

Mughal painting reflects an exclusive combination of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles. As the name suggests, these paintings evolved as well as developed during the rule of Mughal Emperors in India, between 16th to 19th century. The Mughal paintings of India revolved around themes, like battles, court scenes, receptions, legendary stories, hunting scenes, wildlife, portraits, etc.

Mewar School (Raagamala)

• Based on Raaga – Fusion of Painting, Music and Poetry
• However inferior on Quality
• Famous only among the common man
• Mix of Visual Art and Performing Art.
• Ruknuddin of Bikaner
• Sahibuddin on Mewar

Kishangarh School

• Portraits and love scenes of Radha and Krishna
• Primary Colours and liberal use of Gold
• Male and Female faces are similar - Narrow Eyebrows
• Lotus Petal shape Eyes
• Bani Thani – is a famous painting of this school ( Indian Monalisa) by Nihal Chand
• Raja Sawant Singh is also a painter

Bundi School

• Detailed paintings of local vegetation – Aravalli Region
• Love scenes
• Primary and Secondary colours along with Gold
• Human face is round and pointed nose
• Mostly miniature
• Sky – Different colours and water with lush stroked on dark background

Jaipur School

• Rajasthan Style
• Mughal Style also seen
• All features of the Miniature Rajasthani Schools
• Raja Sawai Jai Singh - Patron

Pahari Paintings

• Kashmir , Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
• Lord Metcalfe discovered Pahari paintings in 1835-36
• Has both Mughal and Rajasthani Influence
• Themes
• Love – Radha Krishna
• Boyhood Pranks of Krishna
• Delicate graces of Indian Womanhood
• Manku and KishanLal- Painters

Kangara School

• Promoter – Raja Sansar Chand
• Poetry into Painting
• Love scene of Radha Krishna made the Bulk of this school (Shringar)
• Bhakti Cult – Driving force
• Verdant greenery depicted in them. The style is naturalistic, and great attention is paid to detail, at quite an amazing scale in the miniatures

Thanka School

• Ladhak Region
• Chinese Influence – Dragon Symbol incorporated
• Buddhist Influence
• Use of Silk

South Indian Painting
Paintings in South India are famous for their intricate curves and bright colors. There are many schools for painting in South India like the Mysore, Tanjore, Nayaka, Chola and so on.

Tanjore painting
Thanjavur painting is a classical South Indian painting style, which was inaugurated from the town of Thanjavur(anglicized as Tanjore) and spread across the adjoining and geographically contiguous Tamil country. The art form draws its immediate resources and inspiration from way back about 1600 AD, a period when the Nayakas of Thanjavur under the suzerainty of the Vijayanagara Rayas encouraged art—chiefly, classical dance and music—as well as literature, both in Telugu and Tamil and painting of chiefly Hindu religious subjects in temples. However, it can safely be surmised that Thanjavur painting, as we know it now, originated in the Maratha court of Thanjavur.

• Tanjore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting native to the town of Thanjavur (anglicized as Tanjore) in Tamil Nadu, India. The art form dates back to about 1600 AD.
• Tanjore paintings are known for their surface richness, vivid colors and compact composition.
• Tanjore paintings serving as devotional icons, the themes of most of these paintings are Hindu gods and goddesses, and saints as well.

Mughal painting

• Indian Persian and European Influence
• Features
• Brilliant red, blue and green colors predominate the pink, eroded rocks and the vegetation, planes and blossoming plum and peach trees are used for coloring.
• Accuracy in Line Drawing
• Variety of Themes – Non Religious with Ornamentation
• Mostly Miniature
• Fore sighting Technique
• In the fore sighting technique objects are drawn in a way that they look closer and smaller than they really are
• Babur – No time for paintings – Patronised Bihzad
• Humayun – Abdus Sammad and Mir Saeed Ali from Persia
• Akbar
• Established different departments of Paintings – Kharkhanas
• Means of Study and Amusement
• One of the First Mughals to allow Portrait Paintings
• Awards and Recognition to the Painters. Hindu Painters got involved in the Kharkhanas
• Akbar’s Era
• 3D Figures
• Use of Fore sighting Technique
• Calligraphy
• Theme – Fairs and Festivals
• Combined Efforts of Painters – Popular art to Court Art
• Daswant, Baswan, Kesu, Miskina, Nanha, Knha Etc
• Jehangir
• Mughal Paintings reached its climax during Jehangir period
• Naturalist – Most paintings were pictures of Flora and Fauna i.e. birds, animals and flowers
• Emphasis also on Portrait, Decorated margins started to get prominence. He, himself was an artist and also had his own workshop
• Direct contact with the English Crown and was sent gifts of oil paintings, which included portraits of the King and Queen
• Encouraged his royal atelier to take up the single point perspective favoured by European artists
• Ustaad Mansur was a prominent painter or Jehangir’s period
• Shah Jahan
• Continued –Too much gold and Bright colours
• Liveliness of the paintings Lost- Pencil Sketching
• Aurangazeb
• Discouraged Painting Leading to Decline and Later Regional

Rajasthani Painting
Evolved and flourished in the royal courts of Rajputana in India. Each Rajput kingdom evolved a distinct style, but with certain common features. Rajput paintings depict a number of themes, events of epics like the Ramayana only. Miniatures in manuscripts or single sheets to be kept in albums were the preferred medium of Rajput painting, but many paintings were done on the walls of palaces, inner chambers of the forts, havelis, particularly, the havelis of Shekhawati, the forts and palaces built by Shekhawat Rajputs.

The colours were extracted from certain minerals, plant sources, conch shells, and were even derived by processing precious stones. Gold and silver were used. The preparation of desired colours was a lengthy process, sometimes taking weeks. Brushes used were very fine.

• Rajasthani Painting also known as Rajput painting.
• Based on Hindu Traditions and Mythology – Battle, Hunting scenes Etc
• Stages
• 16th – Simple and Subtle – Straight forward on dark solid background
• 17th – Sophisticated
• 18th – Portraits
• The colours were extracted from certain minerals, plant sources, conch shells, and were even derived by processing precious stones. Gold and silver were used.
• The preparation of desired colours was a lengthy process, sometimes taking weeks. Brushes used were very fine.

Mysore painting
Mysore painting originated in and around the town of Mysore in Karnataka encouraged and nurtured by the Mysore rulers. Painting in Karnataka has a long and illustrious history, tracing its origins back to the Ajanta times. The distinct school of Mysore painting evolved from the paintings of Vijayanagar times during the reign of the Vijayanagar Kings. Mysore paintings are known for their elegance, muted colours, and attention to detail. The themes for most of these paintings are Hindu gods and goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology.

• Mysore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting that originated in the town of Mysore in Karnataka.
• Mysore traditional painting are off-shoots, made a great historical contribution to the art of India.
• Mysore paintings are known for their elegance, muted colours, and attention to detail.
• The themes for most of these paintings are Hindu gods and goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology.

By:Balalatha Mallavarapu