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𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

- Primitive rock painting – Bhimbetaka, panchamarhi

- Painted pottery of IVC

-3rd Cen. BCE – Vatsyayana – book kamasutra – mentioned of Shadanga(6) of paintings

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Pre-historic Paintings:

Paleolithic period (50000-10000BCE)

- Ochre or geru mixed with lime and water

- Used different minerals to make colours

- Use of white, dark red & green color to depict huge animals (bison, rhino, elephant, rhino etc.)

Mesolithic Period (10000-4000BCE)

- Use of red colour, smaller paintings
- Paintings of group hunting, grazing activities, riding scenes

Chalcolithic Period (4000-2300 BCE)

- Green and Yellow colour Battle scene – men riding horses and elephant carrying bow and arrow

𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔

Murals - huge works executed on the walls of solid structures

Ex. Ajantha & Kailasantaha temple.

Miniature - very small scale on paper, cloth, etc

Ex. Rajasthani & Mughal miniatures

Fresco Paintings:

- A technique of mural painting executed upon freshly-laid lime plaster

- Water is used as the vehicle for the pigment

- With the setting of the plaster; the painting becomes an integral part of the wall.

𝑨𝒋𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂 𝑪𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈

- Carved in 4th cen CE ; set of 29 caves; horse-shoe shape

- Completed under mauryan empire took 4-5 centuries

- Cave 9,10 – Shunga period ; rest – gupta period

- both mural and fresco painting

- Tempera style – use of pigments

- Common theme – Jataka Stories
- Cave 1: Vajrpani (symbol of buddha’s power)
- Manjushri (Buddha’s wisdom)
- Padmapani ( Avlokiteshwara – Buddha’s Compassion)
- Cave 16: Dying princess
- Scene of Shibi Jataka
- Scene of Matri-Poshaka Jataka

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𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒂 𝑪𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔

- Mural painting in 5 caves – limited to Kailasa Temple

- Image of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi

- Image of Lord Shiva

- Apsaras

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𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔

- executed on books and albums

- The Palas of Bengal were the pioneers of miniature painting in India.

- reached its zenith during the Mughal period

- should not be larger than 25 sq inch

- side profile, bulging eyes,

- pointed nose and slim waist

- Raj. Miniature – Skin is brown, Mughals – fairer

- Lord Krishna – blue,

- Eyes and hairs – Black

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒍𝒂 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 (750-1150𝑪𝑬)

- Earliest examples of miniature painting in India

- Executed on palm leaf or vellum papers

- religious texts on Buddhism executed under the Palas of the eastern India

- Jain texts executed in western India

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- The Buddhist monasteries of Nalanda, Odantapuri,

- Vikramsila & Somarupa were great centers of Buddhist learning and art

- characterized by sinuous line and subdued tones of colour

- lonely single colour paintings,

- Prominent painters – Dhimman & Vitapala

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𝑨𝒑𝒂𝒃𝒉𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒔𝒂 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈

- GJ, RJ region

- Common theme Jain

- Characterized by simple, bright colours, highly conventionalized figures, and wiry, angular drawings

- Kalpasutra and Kalakacharya Katha

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- The earliest manuscripts are on palm leaves with the figures shown from a frontal view

- The fish-shaped bulging eyes, with its pointed nose with double chin,

- Animal and bird figurine represented as toys

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𝑴𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 (16𝒕𝒉 – 19𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒚)

- illustrations on the books or as single works to be kept in an album

- unique blend of Indian, Persian styles

- Glorifying rulers, hunting scenes, historic events and courts

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- Use of brilliant colours

- classical ragas and Seasons or baramasa

- Tuti-nama - first art work of the Mughal School.

- Akbar’s reign (1556–1605) ushered a new era in Indian miniature painting- Tasvir Khana - Persian master artists, Mir Sayyed Ali & Abdus Samad.

- At Zenith under Jahangir who himself was a famous painter

- Jahangir encouraged artists to paint portraits and durbar scenes.- Naturalist and Flora & Fauna, decorated margins, own private workshop, zebra painting

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- Shah Jahan continued the patronage of painting.

- Aurangzeb had no taste for fine arts. – decline in painting activities

- Most significant are Hamza Nama, Razm-Nama or “The Book of War”, Akbar Nama

- Hamzanama → Stories of Amir Hamza, illustrated by Mir Sayyid Ali

𝑹𝒂𝒋𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒊 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 (17𝒕𝒉 – 19𝒕𝒉 𝑪𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒚)

- Mughal artists of inferior merit who were no longer required by the Mughal Emperors, migrated to Rajasthan

- Rajasthani style prominent features → bold drawing, strong and contrasting colours

𝑲𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒉 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 (18𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒚)

- Distinguished by its individualistic facial type and its religious intensity

- Developed under the patronage of Raja Savant Singh (1748-1757 AD)

- master artist Nihal Chand

- Bani Thani Painting

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𝑴𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒓 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 (17th – 18th century)

- Characterized by bold bright contrasting colours and direct emotional appeal

- Extraordinary figure of Sahibdin

- Tamasha paintings – shows court ceremonial and city view

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- Reflects portraiture & life of the ruler, along with religious themes

- text of the painting is written in black on the top against the yellow ground.

𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 (15-16th cen.)

- Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer

- Colourful clothing

- Executed in a primitive and vigorous folk style

- Completely uninfluenced by the Mughal style.

- Shiva Purana, Natacharitra, Durgacharitra, Panchatantra

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𝑩𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒊 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 (18th – 19th century)

- Bundi + Kota -> Hadoti

- Krishna Bhakti

- Painting of local vegetation

- Human faces with pointed faces

- Most of the space in the painting is occupied by the hilly jungle

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𝑨𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓-𝑱𝒂𝒊𝒑𝒖𝒓 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍

- Closely associated with Mughals

- Dhundar school – folk style – amer palace

- At Zenith in period of Sawai Pratap Singh 18th cen – Suratkhana

- Bhagwata purana, Ragamala, Ramayana, etc

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 (17th – 19th Century)

- Comprises the present State of Himachal Pradesh, some adjoining areas of Punjab, the area of Jammu, & Garhwal in Uttarakhand

𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒉𝒍𝒊 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 (17th – 18th century)

- known for its bold vitality of colour, lines & red borders
expressive faces, big eyes shaped like lotus

- 1st patron Raja Kirpal Singh – Bhanudatta’s Rasamanjiri , Gita govinda, Ramayana drawings

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𝑲𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 (Late 18th century)

- The Kangra style is developed out of the Guler style & possesses its main characteristics, like the delicacy of drawing & naturalism

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- Raja Gowardhan singh patronage , Raja Sansar singh
Gita govinda, Bhagwat purana, Satsai of Biharilal and Nal Damayanti

- The Kangra style continued to flourish at various places namely Kangra, GuIer, Basohli, Chamba, Jammu, Nurpur and Garhwal etc.

𝑻𝒂𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈

-decorative paintings

- Created on glass and boards

- Use of brilliant colour patterns and liberal use of gold leaf

- Use of gemstone and cut glasses

- at Zenith under Sarfoji maharaj

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𝑴𝒚𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈

- Depiction of hindu god, goddess

- Two or more figures

- One figure predominates

- Use of Gesso Paste – Mixture of Zinc oxide and Arabic gum

- Use of muted colour, not so bright

𝑹𝒂𝒋𝒂 𝑹𝒂𝒗𝒊 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂

- Kerala

- Raphael of the east

- Lady in moonlight, mother india, Sarasvati paiting
Ravana kidnapping sita

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𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍

-Abhanindranath Tagore
-Tried to incorporate swadeshi values
-Painting of Bharat mata
-Nandlal Bose- Shantiniketan – black&White Gandhi sketch
-Illuminating original constitution of india
-Rabindranath Tagore – Use of dominant black lines

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𝑲𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 (Kolkata – 19th century)

- They evolved a quick method of painting on mill-made paper

- Used brush and ink from the lampblack, use of water colour

- Depicts figures of deities, gentry & ordinary people

PC-utsavpedia

𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒉𝒖𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒊 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔
(Mithila – Bihar)

- Religious motifs of rama, Krishna, durga, Lakshmi, shiva

- Figures – symbolic, fish depicts good luck and fertility
Flowers, trees, animals to fill gaps

- No shading, 2Dimentional, double line borders

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- Painting on wall using rice paste and vegetable colours based on cow dung and mud

- Has five distinctive styles – Bharni, Katchni, Tantrik, Godna and Gobar

- GI Tagged, Jagdamba Devi of Jitbarpur village awarded

𝑲𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒌𝒂𝒓𝒊 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 (Andhra Pradesh)

- painting done by kalam ( shart pointed bamboo)

- Stories from the epics Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas are painted as continuous narratives

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- Cloths are painted with the colours from vegetable and mineral sources.

- Gods are painted blue, evil characters in red and green.

- Yellow is used for female figures and ornaments.

- Red is mostly used as a background

- Main centers – Srikalahasti, Machilipatanam

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈

- Practiced in tribal regions of Maharashtra and Gujarat border area

- decorative paintings on floors & walls of ‘gond’ and ‘kol’ tribes homes and places of worship

- made in geometric patterns like squares, triangles, and circles

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Other Folk Paintings

Mural Paintings

Please find the PDF here

drive.google.com/file/d/1tABzX4…

References

-Indian Art & Culture by Gaurav Agarwal
-Indian Art & Culture by Nitin Singhania
-CCRT
-Jiva Somya Mhashe
-India.gov.in
-indianculture.gov.in