Art-Culture

Styles of Rajasthani Painting

Starting from the 16th century, when the Rajasthani Painting originated, the main schools emerged, including:

Mewar School: Chavand, Nathdwara, Devgarh, Udaipur and Sawar

Marwar School: Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Bikaner, Nagaur, Pali and Ghanerao styles

Hadoti School: Kota, Bundi and Jhalawar styles

Dhundar School: Amber, Jaipur, Shekhawati and Uniara styles

Mewar Style:

The Mewar School comprises of Nathdwara, Chavand, Udaipur, Sawar and Devgarh styles of painting.

Mewar School of painting is one of the most significant schools of Indian painting of seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It was developed in Hindu principality of Mewar. The works of the Mewar School are distinguished by simple vivid colour and straight poignant appeal. The relatively hefty number of paintings to which places of derivation can be attributed make probable a more inclusive picture of the expansion of painting in Mewar than any other Rājasthanī painting school. The primitive examples derive from Ragamala, a musical mode series highlighted in the year 1605 at Chawand. This communicative and energetic approach continued with some discrepancies through 1680, after which Mughal sway became more noticeable. One of the dazzling painters of the untimely phase was that of the artist Sahibdin.

  • Considered to be place of origin of Rajasthani art of Painting.
  • Drawing is bold and the colours are bright and contrasting.
  • Text of the painting is written in black on the top against the yellow ground.
  • Maharana Kumbha contributed a lot to its development. After this Mewar style developed during Maharana Amar Singh-I (1572-1620), Karna Singh & Jagat Singh I (1628-52).
  • 1260): It is the oldest painted volume of this style.
  • It was established during reign if Jagat Singh I.
  • – painted Kaliya Damana (most famous painting) during the reign of MaharanaSangram Singh II (1710-34).
  • – Nuruddin, Manohar, Sahibdin, Kriparam, Jivaram etc.
  1. Appearance of men & women in healthy & attractive height.
  • Pointed nose, round face, large eyes, small neck and open lips.
  • Imposing moustache, decorative figures of women with tender body.
  • Elegant display of Nature.

Nathdwara Style

Nathdwara Painting refers to a painting tradition and school of artists that emerged in Nathdwara, a town in Rajsamand district in the Western state of Rajasthan in India. Nathdwara paintings are of different sub-styles of which Pichhwai paintings are the most popular. The word Pichhwai derives from the Sanskrit words pich meaning back and wais meaning hanging. These paintings are cloth paintings hung behind the image of the Hindu god Shrinathji.

The Nathdwara School is a subset of the Mewar School of painting and is seen as an important school in the 17th and 18th century miniature paintings. The sub-styles of Mewar painting include Udaigarh, Devgarh and Nathdwara as important centers of miniature production. The temple of Shrinathji is believed to have provided a boost to the art activities in the town. It is recorded that to avoid the oppression of the iconoclast Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, the image of Shrinathji, a child manifestation of Krishna was installed in Nathdwara in 1670 by Goswami priests from Mathura. After this, many artists, including the famous Acharya Gopinathji, motivated by religious fervor came and created paintings of Shrinathji.

Pichhwai are intricate paintings which portray Lord Krishna. They exist in the holy town of Nathdwara in the Rajasthan state.

Krishna is shown in different moods, body postures, and attire more commonly found on a cloth or paper. It is a very ancient form of art passed on from generation to generation and it has a very devotional theme towards Lord Krishna.

The purpose of Pichhwai, other than its artistic appeal, is to narrate tales of Krishna to the illiterate. They have become the main export of Nathdwara and are in much demand among foreign visitors in the area.

These artists mostly live in Chitron ki gali (Street of paintings) and Chitrakaron ka mohalla (colony of painters) and make a close community with constant interaction. It is no wonder that many times a Pichhwai painting is a group effort, where several skillful painters work together under the supervision of a master artist.

  • Nathdwara style is a sub-style of Mewar School of painting, but as such it is a peculiar mixture of Mewar & Kishangarh styles.
  • Rana Raj Singh I brought idol of Srinath ji from Mathura during Aurangzeb reign, hence, artist from Mathura followed and gave birth to new style called as Nathdwara sub-style.
  • Depiction of natural scenery is a distinct feature of the Nathdwara style.
  • Nathdwara is famous for the Pichhwai paintings in Rajasthan. Pichhwai paintings are painted in permanent natural colors that do not lighten for years.
  • Famous painters included Ilaechii & kalma among women and Ghasiram, Chaturbhunj, Udairaj & Champa lal among men.

Most works produced in this style revolve around the figure of Shrinathji as a manifestation of Krishna and refer to the incident of him holding the Govardhan hill on his last finger. Each Pichhwai painting is considered a seva or an offering to the deity and hence personifies Shrinathji as a prince with jewels and luxuries, surrounded by the milkmaids, gopis. These seva themes are based on different seasons and paintings are made to depict different moods of the season. There are also paintings that show the Lord in different costumes celebrating different festivals. Other themes like Mata Yoshoda, Nandlal and Bal-Gopal figures are also painted in this style.

Bundi Style

Bundi is one of the few places in India, which can lay its claim to an authentic School of Painting. “The Bundi School” is an important school of the Rajasthani style of Indian miniature painting that lasted from the 17th to the end of the 19th century in this princely state.

One of the earliest examples of the Bundi Paintings is the Chunar Ragamala painted in 1561. Bundi paintings emphasized on hunting, court scenes, festivals, processions, life of nobles, lovers, animals, birds and scenes from Lord Krishna’s life.

The Bundi School had a close association with the Mughal style yet it was never fundamental to the evolution and growth of Bundi paintings, however the delicacy of the Mughal style was also not abandoned.

The Chitrashaala, which is also known as the Ummed Mahal, is a part of the Garh Palace. It was built in the 18th Century, and forms a set of rooms on an elevated podium above the garden courtyard. The famous Chitra Shala in Bundi provides a colourful glimpse of history. The walls, ceiling of this palace are completely covered with paintings of the Bundi School which are still in very good condition. These splendid paintings in the Chitrashaala are par excellence and can be compared with probably the best anywhere in the world.

  1. Very close to the Mewar style of Paintings
  2. Rich and glowing colours, the rising sun in golden colour, crimson-red horizon, overlapping and semi-naturalistic trees.
  3. Mughal influence is visible in the refined drawing of the faces.
  4. Style flourished mostly during reign of Rao Surjan Singh.
  5. Chitrashaala (colored paintings) – made during reign of Maharao Ummed Singh depict this style clearly.

 Main Features:

  • Pointed nose, receding foreheads, full cheeks, small stature
  • Use of red-yellow colors
  • Use of fine clothes.
  • Domes in background architecture, indicate Mughal influence.
  • In female figures in Bundi style, the upper & lower lines of eyes meet in parallel.
  • Lush landscapes painted in vibrant colors and massed with a variety of forms of trees and floral creepers, water ponds with lotus flowers in the foreground, fish and birds.