Rajput painting, a style of Indian painting, evolved and flourished during the 18th century in the royal courts of Rajputana, India, flowing from the style of Mughal painting, itself derived from the Persian miniature. Each Rajput kingdom evolved a distinct style, but with certain common features. Rajput paintings depict a number of themes, events of epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Krishnas life, beautiful landscapes, and humans. Miniatures in manuscripts or single sheets to be kept in albums were the preferred medium of Rajput painting, but many paintings were done on the walls of palaces, inner chambers of the forts, havelis, particularly, the havelis of Shekhawati, the forts and palaces built by Shekhawat Rajputs.
The colours extracted from certain minerals, plant sources, conch shells, and were even derived by processing precious stones, gold and silver were used. The preparation of desired colours was a lengthy process, sometimes taking weeks. Brushes used were very fine.
Over a period of around 300 years, beginning from the 16th century, different schools of Rajput painting emerged, and notable among them are Mewar School, Bundi-Kota kalam, Jaipur school, Bikaner school, Kishengarh school, Marwar school, and Raagamala style of painting, Mewar Schools. Each of these schools had their unique style and portrayed the images of hills, valleys, deserts, palaces, forts, gardens, court scenes, religious processions and the scenes from the life of Lord Krishna (a Hindu God). Unlike Mughul miniatures the paintings of Rajasthan were simple in their approach and portrayed scenes of throbbing life around them. The Ragmala paintings and the paintings based on Ramayana, Geetha Govinda and the Bhagavata Purana are the legacy of Rajasthan.
The Rajput paintings flourished under the patronage of the Hindu Rajput rulers of Rajputana and Punjab Himalayas during the period 1500 AD to the middle of the 19th century. To a considerable extent the Rajput paintings were the contemporaries of the Mughal paintings. Rajput painting was initially known for its use of a limited range of color, shallow space, decorative brilliance and mythic subject matter. Later, the Mughal influences were absorbed into Rajput art in varying degrees, due to changes in the patronage, the movement of artists and political factors.
The Rajput paintings can be put under two broad groups: the Rajasthani style and the Pahari style. Rajasthani paintings are those works that have been executed in Rajputana, from Bikaner to the border of Gujarat and from Jodhpur to Gwalior and Ujjain. The themes of the paintings were mostly religious and love subjects, based on Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. Court scenes were depicted as also royal portraits. Bold outlines and brilliant colours are characteristic of the Rajasthani paintings. The romance of Padmavati, penned by the poet Malik Muhammad Jaisi, provided a common theme to the Rajput paintings. Under Raj Singh (1652-1681 AD), illustrations of Mahabharata, Chand Bardai's Prihviraj Raso, Bana Bhatta's Kadambari and the Panchatantra were painted. In Mewar, the Geet Govinda and the Sundar Sringara were executed in the first quarter of the 18th century. The Rajput painting developed individual styles in Bundi, Kota, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kishangarh. |
