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One would wonder why people thought of painstakingly drawing minatures when they could have used a spacious canvas! The answer lies in the very origin of this art form - it originated while making illustrations and cover designs for manuscripts in the 11th Century. Few centuries down the line, it found extended patronage under the Mughal and Rajput rulers and flourished in Rajasthan from the 16th Century. It is still created in many parts of Rajasthan, especially Jaipur, by the successors of the erstwhile craftsmen. Miniatures are very painstakingly painted with very delicate brush strokes. The designs are intricate and the lines are smooth and flawless. Another distinctive feature is that the colors are extracted from minerals, vegetables, precious stones, indigo, conch shells, pure gold and silver.
Different Styles and Themes>>>
The differing taste of its patron generated different schools of miniature painting in various regions. The Mewar School would have a brilliant canvas filled with the bright colors of precious stones. The Bani Thani paintings that have heavenly female figures draped in delicate fabrics and drawn with subtle colors belong to the Kishengarh School. Other prominent styles of miniatures are the Bundi School, Kota School, Bikaner School, Jaipur School and Marwar School. Though miniatures started with restricted themes relevant to the manuscripts, it slowly evolved to represent several other aspects of life. 'Ragamala' paintings depict the musical modes and 'Baramasa' paintings represent the twelve months of the year. Scenes of dance, music, hunting, festival and portraits were commissioned by the royalty. Artists also gradually started drawing inspirations from Ramayana, Krishna Lila, Gita Govinda etc and of course from Nature and the daily life around them. |