Rajput painting

An 18th century Rajput painting by the artist Nihâl Chand.

Godhuli, Mewar, ca. 1813

Rajput painting, also known as Rajasthani Painting, is 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, Krishna’s 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 were 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.

Schools

In the last decades of the 16th Century Rajput art schools began to develop distinctive styles combining indigenous as well as foreign influences (Persian, Mughal, Chinese, European) into unique styles. Various identifiable styles developed in different Rajput art schools particularly at Amber (near present-day Jaipur), Bikaner, Marwar (Jodhpur), Mewar (Udaipur), Kishangarh, Pratapgarh, Kota, Bundi, Nathdwara, Kangra, Kulu, and Guler. Jitendra Sahoo is a famous artist of Rajput painting.

See also

• Mewar painting
• Kangra painting
• Tanjore painting
• Dalchand, an 18th century Rajput artist

References

• The City Palace Museum, Udaipur: paintings of Mewar court life. by Andrew Topsfield, Pankaj Shah, Government Museum, Udaipur. Mapin, 1990. ISBN 094414229X.
• Splendour of Rajasthani painting, by Jai Singh Neeraj. Abhinav Publications, 1991. ISBN 8170172675.
• Art and artists of Rajasthan: a study on the art & artists of Mewar with reference to western Indian school of painting, by Radhakrishna Vashistha. Abhinav Publications, 1995. ISBN 8170172845.
• A study of Bundi school of painting, by Jiwan Sodhi. Abhinav Publications, 1999. ISBN 8170173477
• Court painting at Udaipur: art under the patronage of the Maharanas of Mewar, by Andrew Topsfield, Museum Rietberg. Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2001. ISBN 3907077032.
• Rajput Painting, by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Publisher B. R. Publishing Corporation, 2003. ISBN 8176463760.
• The artists of Nathadwara: the practice of painting in Rajasthan, by Tryna Lyons. Indiana University Press, 2004. ISBN 0253344174.

External links

• Indian medieval painting schools - Rajput painting