Indian Paintings Flashcards
Introduction
Painting as an art • In Kamasutra, painting - 1 out of 64 fine arts. • Vatsayana has mentioned 6 principals(limbs) of painting. • Shadanga(6 limbs/principals) ○ Rupbheda ○ Praman ○ Lavan yojanam ○ Sadrashyam ○ Bhaav ○ Vamika bhanga
Ancient Indian Paintings
Mural paintings
Miniature paintings
- Mural paintings
• They are large works executed on the walls of the large structure
• Ajanta caves,Lepakdhi temple,EIIora caves etc
• Mostly done during Gupta age
Mural paintings of Gupta age
• Ajanta-paintings
○ Expression of emotions through hand postures
○ Birds and animals are also shown with emotions
○ Fresco paintings - method of painting water-based pigments on freshly applied plaster, usually on wall surfaces
○ Tempera style used-using pigments ground in water base
○ Theme-Buddhism-jataka tales,life of Buddha
• Bagh paintings
○ Same as Ajanta paintings
• Ellora paintings
○ Theme-Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism
○ Scenes of Ramayana and Mahabharata
○ Shiva as Natraj ,battle scenes, elephant in the lotus pond
○ Techniques same as Ajanta paintings
Mural paintings of Vijayanagar empire
• Lepakshi paintings
○ Flourished during Vijayanagara kingdom
○ Theme-not religious but secular
○ Complete absence of primary colors
○ Bad quality
○ Decline in paintings
○ Some of the wall paintings of this declining period in the reign of Prince of Travancore in Kerala
○ in the palaces of Jaipur in Rajasthan and in the Rangmahal of the Chamba palace in Himachal Pradesh are worth mentioning. - Miniature painting
• Very detailed and small paintings
• Executed on very small scale
• In books, manuscripts or on other material like paper, cloth and even glass
• TECHNIQUE
○ traditional tempera technique.
○ mixing colors in water + binding medium - applied on the drawing.
○ 1st sketch -drawn in red or black -white priming over it
○ surface burnished till outline showed clearly 2nd outline was drawn with a fine brush.
○ background colored - then sky, buildings and trees - Figures last - final outline was drawn.
○ copies made from perforated sketches by rubbing- charcoal powder, the dotted outline took the place of the first drawing.
○ Colors - from minerals and ochers - Indigo vegetable color. Lac-dye and red carmine from insects.
• Technical rule for miniature painting
○ size not greater than 25 inch square
○ subject not painted <1/6 of its original size
○ level of detail differentiates it from small paintings
○ Miniature is derived from latin word minium meaning red led paint used in illuminated manuscript during renaissance
• Features of Indian miniature painting
○ Most human characters are shown with side profile
○ Big eyes
○ Pointed nose
○ Women-slim waste, long hair
○ Skin colour-brown
○ Hair and eye-black
○ Skin colour of Krishna-blue
○ Dress-traditional Indian dress
○ Men have turbans on their head
○ Initially natural colours were used
○ Famous painters-vaachak,Nihaal chand
• Various types of miniature painting
○ Pal school of painting
○ Apabhransha school
○ Mughal painting
○ Regional schools
Pal school of miniature
1. Lonely human figures found 2. Mainly manuscript paintings 3. Initially done on palm leaf, later on paper 4. Theme-Buddhist and Hinduism 5. Nature representation-banana and coconut tree
Apabransha school
1. Mewar and Gujarat region 2. Theme-Jain and Vaishnav 3. Charesteristic- a. Bulgin eyes b. Pointed nose c. Double chin d. Use of bright and gold colours e. Figures are stiff f. Animals and birds are represented as toys
Medivial Paintings
- Mughal paintings
- Regional school
i. Rajasthani school
• Malwa school
• Mewar school
• Marwar school
• Bundi school
• Kota school
• Jaipur/amber school
• Bikaner school
• Kishangadh school
ii. Pahari school
• Basohli school
• Guler school
• Kangra school
• Kullu-mandi school
• Chamba school
• Thangka school
• Jammu school
• Odisha school
Mughal Paintings
• Indian, Persian and European influence • Features ○ mostly or generally miniature paintings ○ Use of brilliant colours ○ Accuracy in line drawing ○ Ornamentation ○ Variety of themes ○ Use of forsightening technique
- Babur
a. No time for painting
b. Patronized a Persian painter-Bihzad - Humayun
a. He brought 2 Persian painters-
i. Abdus sammad
ii. Mir sayyed Ali
b. So Persian influence is there - Akbar
a. Established the separate department for painting
b. Concept of karkhana
i. In the karkhanas,indian painters were invited—Indian influence
ii. Famous painters- Dashwant, Baswan, Kesu
c. Mostly miniature painting
d. 3D figures
e. Indian, persian and European influence
f. Caligraphy. forsightening technique
g. Theme-fairs and festivals
h. Combined efforts of painters started - Jahangir
a. Mughal period reached at its climax
b. Jahangir was naturalist-preferred paintings on the theme of birds, animals and other elements of nature like flowers
c. Portrait painting started
d. Decorated margins
e. He had his workshop too
f. Famous painter-Ustad Mansoor
g. Famous paintings-zebra, Turkey, maulaana do pyaaza - Shahjahan
a. Too much use of gold,silver and bright colours
b. Reduced liveliness
c. Artificial look
d. This unnatural look suggests European influence
e. Pencil drawing/sketching started - Aurangzeb
a. Discouraged paintings
b. Dispersal of artists from Mughal court
c. Hence the concept of regional school started
THE DECCANI SCHOOLS (CIRCA 1560-1800 A.D.)
• no pre-Mughal painting from the Deccan are So far known to exist
• it can safely be presumed that sophisticated schools of painting flourished there, making a significant contribution to the development of the Mughal style in North India.
• Early centres of painting in the Deccan, during the 16th and 17th centuries were Ahmednagar, Bijapur and Golconda.
• In the Deccan, painting continued to develop independently of the Mughal style in the beginning. However, later in the 17th and 18th centuries it was increasingly influenced by the Mughal style.
Rajasthani school of painting
- Themes based on Hindu tradition and mythology
- Battle scenes, Hunting scenes and riding scenes
- Developed in 3 phases
a. 1st phase-16th century
i. Mural paintings-simple and on solid & dark background
b. 2nd 17th century
i. Sophisicated paintings
c. 3rd century
i. portrait painting in rajasthani style - Mughal influence. Miniature painting mainly
- Representation Of and hunting scenes
Malwa school
a. Some of the important paintings executed in the Malwa style are a series of the Rasikapriya dated 1634 AD.
b. a series of the Amaru Sataka painted in 1652 A.D.
Mewar school
a. Also known as ragmala paintings
b. Paintings were based on Ragas
c. Paintings,music and poetry comes together in these paintings
d. unique
Marwar School
a. Theme-Radha-Krishna
b. Liberal use of gold
c. The face of male and female is similar.
d. Krishna is painted in blue
e. Narrow eye-brows
f. Lotus fatal shaped eyes
g. Minimum Mughal influence
h. The miniatures are executed in a primitive and vigorous folk style and are completely uninfluenced by the Mughal style.
i. A large number of miniatures comprising portraits, court scenes, series of the Ragamala and the Baramasa, etc. were executed from the 17th to 19th centuries at several centres of painting like Pali. Jodhpur and Nagour etc. in Marwar.
Bundi School
a. Around Aravalli
b. Sky painted in different colour ribbon is Visible in the sky
c. Local vegetation is painted in detail
d. Themes-scenes of pleasure-loving princess etc
e. Mostly miniature
f. Human face-round
g. Sharp nose. narrow eye brows
h. The Mughal influence is visible in the refined drawing of the faces and an element of naturalism in the treatment of the trees
i. The text is written in black against yellow background on the top.
Amber - Jaipur School
a. The State Of Amber had the closest relations with the Mughal Emperors.
b. It is generally believed that a school of painting originated at Amber, the old capital of the Amber State, in early 17th century.
c. Later on in the 18th century, the centre of artistic activity shifted to Jaipur, the new capital.
d. There is a fairly large number Of portraits of the Jaipur rulers and miniatures on other subjects which can definitely be assigned to the Jaipur School.
Kota School
a. A style of painting very much akin to the Bundi style also prevailed in Kotah a place near Bundi, during the late 18th and 19th centuries.
b. Themes of tiger and bear hunt were very popular at Kotah.
c. In Kotah paintings, most of the space is occupied by the hilly jungle which has been rendered with a unique charm.
Bikaner School
a. Bikaner was one of the States which had close relations with the Mughals.
b. Some of the Mughal artists during the latter half of the 17th century were given patronage by the Bikaner court
c. They were responsible for the introduction of a new style of painting having much similarity with the Mughal and the Deccani styles.
d. One important artist Ali Raza “the Ustad (master) of Delhi”, was employed by Raja Karan Singh of Bikaner in about 1650 A.D.
e. Some other noteworthy artists who worked at the Bikaner court were Ruknuddin and his son Shahadin.
Kishangarh School
a. During the second quarter of the 18th century. there developed the most charming school of Rajasthani painting in Kishengarh under the patronage of Savant Singh (1748-1757 A.D.)
b. He wrote devotional poetry in praise of Krishna. under the assumed name of Nagari Das
c. Unfortunately only a small number of Kishengam miniatures are available.
d. Most of them are believed to have Epen done by the master painter Nhal Chand who, in his works, has been able to create visual images of his master’s lyrical compositions.
e. The artist has executed types of human figures. delicately drawn, with slender bodies and uptilted eyes.
f. The painting is marked by delicate drawing, fine modelling of the human figures and cows and the broad vista Of landscape showing a stream, rows of trees, and architecture.
g. The artist has displayed a masterly skill in the grouping of many figures in the miniature. The painting has a golden inner border. It is ascribed to the middle of the 18th century and may be the work of Nihal Chand the famous artist of Kishengarh
Parari school of paintings
- Started in 7-18th century
- Mostly miniature
- Discovered by Met calf in kangra valley(1836)
- Pahari school has 2 influence-Mughal and rajasthani
- Theme-boyhood pranks of Krishna,delicate grace of Indian womanhood,radha-Krishna love scenes
Basohli School
earliest centre of painting in the Pahari region was Basohli where under the patronage of Raja Kripal Pal, an artist named Devidasa executed miniatures in the form of the Rasamanjari illustrations
• The Basohli style of painting is characterised by vigorous and bold line and strong glowing colours
• An illustration from a series of Gita Govinda painted by artist Manaku shows further development of the Basohli style depicts Krishna in the company of o in a grove on the bank of a river.
• There is a change in the facial type which becomes a little heavier and also in the tree forms which assume a somewhat naturalistic character, which may be due to the influence of the Mughal painting
• Otherwise, the general features of the Basohli style like the use of strong and contrasting colours, monochrome background, large eyes, bold drawing, use of beetles wings for showing diamonds in ornaments, narrow sky and the red border are observable in this miniature also.
