Miniatures

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The essence of the Indian miniaturists’ visual expression lay in the idea of symbolism. In the language of symbols they recorded their communion with nature, rich in wonder, awe and delight. Their minds excelled in expressing what lay beyond the primary function of lines and pigments. ‘The master painter disposes’, Buddha once remarked while alluding to the art of metaphysical teaching, ‘his colors for the sake of a picture that can not be seen in the colors themselves.’

Painters delighted in unfolding the other dimension of the object; the basic shift in emphasis was from the multiplicity of sense experiences to unifying ideas, from the mutable aspect to an ever-present situation. Subjects derived from myths served as the base for such a transformation of nature into art, to reveal aspects of existence, human and supernatural or divine.
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Murals

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During the 4th century AD. in a remote valley in Western India, work began on the Ajanta caves to create a complex of Buddhist monasteries and prayer halls. The sculptor-monks who lived here during the months of rain also took up a novel exercise of painting large tempera murals on the walls of the caves. The walls and ceilings were painted with frescoes in vibrant mineral colors. These paintings turned out to be of a quality which has never been surpassed.

The themes of these wall-paintings range from Buddhist legends to decorative patterns of flowers and animals. They seek to depict permanent human values and principles and are also records of the social texture of the times. The Golden Age of India under the Mauryan Empire was marked by luxurious living and splendor. The Ajanta murals were painted during this time of prosperity.

These murals also formed the basis of an entire aesthetic tradition which later spread to other countries in Asia. Versatility of line and form and role of color and composition are the endearing features of this art form. These paintings create a feeling of gaiety, wonder and resonance in the beholder. The viewer is transported into another state of consciousness where sound and light and color and palpable form are fused into one separate reality.

India Paintings

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Indian paintings provide an aesthetic continuum that extends from the early civilization to the present day. This form of art in India is vivid and lively, refined and sophisticated and bold and vigorous at the same time. From being essentially religious in purpose in the beginning, Indian paintings have evolved over the years to become a fusion of various traditions which influenced them.

PITHORO PAINTINGS - Gujarat

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Pithoro called Babo Pithoro by the tribals is one of the many deities worshipped in the region and this Pithoro style of folk painting is a way of appeasing the Gods and not a decorative wall piece.

The walls of the houses are painted by professional artists belonging to the Rathawa caste. The owner of the house prays for deliverance from evil and bad times (be it illness, lack of rains, low harvest yields) with the promise of getting a pithoro painted.

Since the painting is done only by professionals, it is an expensive affair and the owner gets it done when it suits him. If a pithoro painting is already done on a wall, it is redone.

The main wall in the house is prepared, along with the adjacent walls. The surface is coated with a plaster of clay & cow dung, by the young unmarried girls. The actual painting is done on a Wednesday. The rituals start a day earlier. On the Tuesday, the walls are whitewashed. The white dry clay is brought in five new baskets covered with five pieces of new cloth.

Folk Painting

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The somewhat lesser-known traditions of Indian painting are the so-called “folk” paintings dating back to a period that may be referred to as “timeless”. These are living traditions, intrinsically linked with the regional historic-cultural settings from which they arise

KALAMKARI PAINTINGS

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Kalamkari literally means, Kalam - pen & kari - work, i.e., art work done using a pen. Vegetable dyes are used to colour the designs applied on cloth. The art of painting using organic dyes on cloth was popular in several parts of India, but this style of Kalamkari flourished at Kalahasti (80 miles north of Chennai) and at Masulipatnam (200 miles east of Hyderabad).

The Kalamkari tradition chiefly consists of scenes from Hindu mythology. Figures of deities with rich border embellishments were created for the temples. In Masulipatnam, the weavers were involved in the block printing art, while at Kalahasti, the Balojas (a caste involved in making bangles) took to this art.
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MADHUBANI PAINTINGS

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The art of Madhubani painting, is the traditional style developed in the Mithila region, in the villages around Madhubani, Bihar. Madhubani literally means a forest of honey. This style of painting has been traditionally done by the women of the region, though today men are also involved to meet the demand. The work is done on freshly plastered or a mud wall. For commercial purposes, the work is now being done on paper, cloth etc.

The paintings are basically of a religious nature. They are done in the special rooms in their homes (in the pooja room, ritual area, bridal room.), on the main village walls, etc., for ceremonial or ritualistic purpose. The women offer sincere prayers to the deity before starting the work.
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Tanjore Paintings

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If ever Art has ardently wooed Beauty, nowhere is it more evident than in the paintings of Thanjavur. Every creation is truly a celebration of the beautiful. Rich, full bodied colours vie with exquisite filigree work to overwhelm the eye. The themes are figures of God, Krishna being the most frequently reproduced , but in various poses & depicting various stages of his life. Other Gods are depicted too. Today people are experimenting with birds, animals, building structures, etc.,

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