An irrespirable buy bare the paintings of Rajasthan
. The paintings done in inimitable styles and color
rendering are so distinctive that they catch the eye
and touch the soul. 'Rajasthan has many schools ol painting
having Their own districts styles, well known among
them being Marwar, Mewar, Hadoti Kishangarh, Dhundhur
and Alwar.
The Miniature Paintings of Rajasthan which had flourished
under princely patronage are still reproduced and descendants
of the original craftsmen continue to produce miniature
masterpieces, retaining their classic elegance . They
are often made on hand made paper mythological the ms
from Ramayana, Krishna Lila, Ragamala, and Geetgovinda
are commonly used . In the paintings , Vivdly rendered
are hills valleys, gardens, palaces, court scenes and
religious processions.
Popular are the Phad paintings which are predominately
red and green scrolls depicting the life of the local
hero Pabuji. They are made by the Joshis of Shahpur,
near Bhilwara, and are now available in smaller panels
portraying single incidents or chracters from the epics
. Pichwais are cloth paintings hung in temples. Made
in Udaipurand Nathdwara these paintings depicts lord
Krishna, as Shrinathji different moods. They are done
in dark rich hues and have deep religious connotations.
All over Rajasthan one can see brightly colored Murals
depicting folk processions and battles.
The Frescoes of Shekhawati are world renowned and the
region is popularly termed as an "Open Air Art Gallery",
Today the tourist can take home a piece of this art
and decorate their walls at home, for these traditional
murals have been recreated in paper and also in cloth.
Miniature Art
This is the most visible and widely prevalent type of
painting, colorful pictures painted in glowing mineral
and vegetable colors on hand-made papers. The miniature
painter did not lack patronage. Seven styles in different
kingdoms developed rapidly (the technique was similar
to wall paintings, cloth and manuscripts illustrations)
used initially manuscri pts for text illustrations, they
gradually evolved as portfolios of the life and times
of their Royal patrons.
The miniature tradition goes back at least to the
11th century. Later the Mughal influence though their
style was of Mughal court style, yet the painters by
the 17th century settled for traditional idioms and
regional elements. And the modern miniature painting
speaks of those age-old traditions of Rajasthan.
Phads & Pichwais
The ancient tradition of scroll painting survives in
Rajasthan as Phad. A typical Phad is a long rectangular
coarse cloth with paintings illustrating the life and
heroic exploits of the two popular folks heroes Pabuji
and Dev Narain. It displays much of the tradition in
narrative form. Painted by the Joshis of Shahpura, near
Bhilwara based on subjects like Bhagavad purana or other
popular folk stories.
The Pichwais are refined works of art, created to
be used as backdrops in the Srinathji at Nathdwara.
They contain the figure of Srinathji (attired with a
variety of costumes) and scenes of Nathdwara festival.
These could be painted, printed with hand blocks, woven,
embroidered or decorated in appliqué form.
Folk Painting
Usually done for some specific occasions like marriage,
birth ceremony and other festivals. This tradition is
found in villages and rural areas practiced by various
tribes. They are very original, fresh and done with
raw-hand. |
