PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya No.

2 Ajmer
Class-12 Painting (049)
Chapter 2
RAJASTHANI MINIATURE PAINTING
Rajasthani painting style refers to that style of painting which was mainly spread in some royal
states and places of Rajasthan and present-day Madhya Pradesh, such as Mewar, Bundi, Kota, Jaipur,
Bikaner, Kishangarh, Jodhpur (Marwar), Malwa, Sirohi and other such major princely states.
Development:-
 Between the middle of the 16th century and the beginning of the 19th century.
Naming:-
 Artist Anand Kumaraswamy, in 1916, named it ‘Rajput painting’.
 With time the use of the term Rajput style ended. In its place, the words Rajasthani style and
Pahari style are now used for it.
Study :-
 Mainly by Rajput rulers.
Subject :-
Charan (legend) and other romantic literature like Dholamaru, Soni-Mahiwal, Mrigavat,
Chaurapanchashika and Laurchanda were also favorite subjects of the artists. Ramayana, Bhagavata
Purana, Mahabharata, Devi Mahatmya and other such literature were also favorite subjects of artists of
all genres.
Apart from these, a large number of paintings have also been made on court scenes and historical
events, which include – hunting, war and victory, festivals, vanamoj, dance, music, festivals, marriage
ceremonies, depictions of kings, courtiers and family members, There are paintings of urban life and
animals and birds.
Features:-
 Strong drawing,
 Color preference (bright and subdued)
 Marking of elements of composition, such as architecture, man-made, nature.
 Attraction to naturalism
 Paintings were generally made on Vasali. (Vasali - a surface of required thickness by pasting
thin sheets of paper with glue)
 Colors were mainly made from minerals obtained from nature and precious metals, such as gold
and silver.
 Outline with black or gray color.
 Brush – use of camel or squirrel hair.
 Painting was a collective work led by a skilled artist.
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Sub-styles of Rajasthani painting style

1. MEWAR PAINTING STYLE (UDAIPUR)

 Mewar is considered to be an early important center of Rajasthani painting.
 Origin of Mewar style – in 1605 AD

Painter- Nisardin

Painting- From Ragamala paintings painted in Chunar.

 Development - during the reign of Raja Jagat Singh (1628–52)

 Painters- Sahibdin, Manohar and Jagannath

1. Sahibdin illustrated Ragamala (1628), Rasikpriya and Bhagwatpuran (1648) and Yudhkand
of Ramayana (1652).

2. Manohar's most important work is Balakand of Ramayana (1649).

3. Jagannath was another exceptionally talented artist, who painted Bihari Satsai in 1719 AD.

(1) Main Painting - Battle of Ramayana

Substyle – Mewar (Udaipur)

Painter – Sahibdeen

Time – 1652 AD

Medium – Water Color

Technique – Tempera

Collection- India Office

Library, London

In this painting, Sahibdin has

presented a new graphical device, oblique linear perspective, which he used to show the horrors of war.
Using various descriptive techniques, the artist sometimes depicted more than one story as a painting
on the same page or one story on different pages. In this painting, Indrajit's elusive fighting skills and
magical weapons used during the war have been depicted.

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(2) Main painting - Maru Ragini
Substyle – Mewar (Udaipur)
Painter – Sahibdeen
Time – 1628 AD
Medium – Water Color
Technique - Tempera
Collection - National Museum, New Delhi
Theme- This is the story of a prince named Dola and
princess Maru. Who had to go through many struggles
to be together. In the painting he is shown running
away sitting on a camel.
Features:-
1. This is an important miniature painting of the
Ragamala series.
2. The king and queen are shown riding on a camel in
the background of the desert.
3. The figures are shown in dark transparent clothes and adorned with jewellery.
4. The turban is of Mughal style.
5. The camel is shown running and the attendant is shown moving ahead of the camel, while two male
escorts with swords and daggers are shown in motion.
6. There is calligraphy in Devanagari script at the top.
7. The painting is framed with a simple orange border.

NATHDWARA

At the end of the 17th century, Nathdwara, which

is near Udaipur and was the stronghold of Vaishnavism,
was converted into a painting gallery. On the occasions of
various festivals, large paintings of Lord Shrinathji were
painted on cloth which was called Pichhwai.

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 2. BUNDI PAINTING STYLE
 Origin of Bundi painting style – in 1591 AD
 Period of origin – During the reign of Hada Rajput ruler Bhoj Singh (1585–1607)
 Most paintings- Ragamala series
Evolution -
Ragamala, painted in the early phase of Bundi style, has an inscription in Persian, according to
which the time of its painting is 1591 AD, the names of the painters are Sheikh Hasan, Sheikh Ali and
Sheikh Hatim. He describes Chunar, which is situated near Banaras, as the place of origin of painting.
Features-
1. An important feature of Bundi and Kota painting is – dense vegetation; Beautiful depiction of
paintingsque landscape along with diverse trees, plants, wild life, animals and birds, hills and
waterfalls.
2. Lively horsemen and elephants have been depicted uniquely in both Bundi and Kota styles.
3. Bundi artists had their own models of female beauty-
• Short stature,
• Round face,
• Backward sloping forehead,
• sharp nose,
• Thin bust and thin waist etc.
(1) Major painting – Deepak Raga, Chunar Ragamala
Substyle – Bundi painting style
painter -
Time – 1519 AD
Medium – Water Color
Technique - Tempera
Collection - Bharat Kala Bhavan, Varanasi
Deepak Raga is depicted sitting with his beloved in
a room at night which is fully illuminated by the light of
four lamps. Out of which the base parts of two lamps have
been depicted in the form of decorated human figures in a
novel way. The sky is twinkling with countless stars, the
moon is shown turning yellow, indicating that the couple
have spent several hours sitting together.
In this painting we can see that on the Kalash above the dome of the palace, there is a strip
coming out on which only Deepak Raga is written. This gives information about the process of painting
that the painting was usually given to the calligrapher only after it was completed. The poem was never
written in this context and the title was a hint to the artist as to what he was to depict.

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(2) Main painting - Raja Anirudh Singh Hada
Substyle – Bundi painting style
Painter – Tulchi Ram
Time – 1680 AD
Medium – Water Color
Technique - Tempera
Collection - Paintings National Museum,
New Delhi
Subject - Shabih (Portrait) of Raja Anirudh
Singh
Features:-
1. This painting represents an artist's perception of
movement and the movement of a horse which
is depicted with complete disregard for the
rendering of the foreground.
2. The horse is shown running so fast in the air that the ground is not visible.
3. The names of Tulchi Ram and Prince (Kunwar) Anirudh Singh are mentioned on the back of the
painting.
4. The king is shown with expressive eyes, wearing elaborate Mughal style attire, jewelery and a
wonderfully decorated turban.
5. The straight extended tail of a horse is shown in the painting.
6. The decorative elements are painted in red, orange, yellow and brown (ochre).
7. The white colored horse and the king's attire are depicted in an attractive combination.
8. The king is shown proudly holding the reins of his horse in his left hand.

3. KOTA PAINTING STYLE

 Origin of Bundi painting style – in 1660 AD
 Emergence period/early period – during the reign of Jagat Singh (1658–83)
 Most paintings – hunting scenes
Features-
1. Depicted forest scenes as the real subject of his works.
2. Kota paintings of this period reflect the passion for chess which had become a social custom, with
court ladies joining in to play.
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 4. BIKANER PAINTING STYLE
Rao Bika Rathore founded Bikaner, the most advanced state in Rajasthan, in 1488.
 Origin of Bikaner painting style – in 1650 AD
 Emergence period/initial period – during the reign of Anup Singh
 Painters- Ruknuddin, Nooruddin, Ibrahim, Nathu, Sahibuddin and Isa etc.
Subject -
Barhamasa, Ragamala, Ramayana, Rasikapriya and Durgasapti have been depicted.
Features-
1. As a result of the association with the Mughals, a special painting language developed in Bikaner
which was influenced by the elegance and color palette of the Mughal style.
2. Bikaner style artist's practice of image depictions is unique
3. Beautiful paintings were created using soft colors.
4. The faces in human sculptures are beautifully shaped.
5. Bikaner paintings are considered to be the best-documented painting style.

Main painting - Krishna on the swing and sad Radha

Substyle – Bikaner Painting Style
Painter – Nooruddin
Time – 1683 AD
Medium – Water Color
Technique - Tempera
Collection - Paintings National Museum, New
Delhi
Subject -
The painting depicts love and affection
between Radha and Krishna
In the upper part of the painting, Krishna
is enjoying with a Gopi while sitting on a swing in
her residence. On learning about his place of
humor, Radha, feeling sad, sits alone under a tree
away from the rural settlement. Knowing about
Radha's grief, Krishna becomes distraught and
follows her, but no peace is reached. Meanwhile, Radha's friend comes to know about this incident and
she plays the role of messenger and peacemaker. She comes to Krishna and tells him about Radha's grief
and plight and prays to him to console Radha.
Features:-
1. There are two departments of painting.

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2. On the upper left, Lord Krishna is shown sitting on a hexagonal swing with an ornate base.
3. He is shown wearing a blue orange dhoti and jewelery made of pearls.
4. A scarf with a thin yellow line is shown hanging on his shoulders.
5. He is shown wearing a decorated crown.
6. At the top right, Radha is shown sitting on a balcony, with Lord Krishna looking at her.
7. The architecture is beautifully painted with cool and bright colors, which is distinguished as a
characteristic of Bikaner style.
8. She is shown wearing a traditional ghagra and choli and her head is covered with a transparent chunari.
9. Radha is shown sitting on a red carpet looking towards Krishna.
10. Round pillows are shown behind Lord Krishna and Radha to depict their resting posture.
11. In the lower part of the mandala, both Radha and Krishna are shown sitting separately on a red carpet
under a tree.
12. Krishna is shown here wearing a yellow dhoti, while Radha is also shown wearing a similar outfit.
13. Radha's attendant is shown standing near Krishna, possibly carrying Radha's message to Krishna.
14. The attendant is shown wearing a ghagra and blouse with light purple and yellow stripes.
15. A yellow and green mound is shown with trees in the background of the lower circle.

5. KISHANGARH PAINTING STYLE

Kishan Singh, one of the sons of the Raja of Jodhpur, founded the state of Kishangarh in 1609 AD.
The main theme of Kishangarh style of painting is the mysterious beauty of women. Kishangarh
style paintings are distinguished by their exquisite structure and stylized features like faces with arched
eyebrows, lance-shaped or lotus petal-like pale pink eyes, drooping eyelids, a well-shaped pointed nose
and thin lips.
Main painting - Bani Thani
Substyle – Kishangarh Style
Reign – Raja Sawantsingh
Painter – Nihalchand
Time – 1750 AD
Medium – Water Color
Technique - Tempera
Collection - National Museum, New Delhi
Bani Thani was the source of inspiration for the
poetry of Sawant Singh, who wrote a poem on the love affair
of Radha and Krishna. He has written about Bani Thani in a
poem ‘Bihari Jas Chandika’, which became the basis of
Nihal Chand's painting Bani Thani, thus showing the fusion
of poetry and painting.

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Features:-
1. This is one of the famous paintings of Rajasthani style.
2. A postage stamp on this painting has been issued by the Government of India.
3. Radha is shown smiling mysteriously.
4. Radha's face is shown big in size and her forehead is crooked.
5. The nose is long, pointed and with arched eyebrows.
6. Eyes reflect feminine beauty with light pink color and thin lips.
7. She has long black curly hair till her waist and a thick strand of hair is hanging on her cheeks.
8. In her left hand she is shown holding two lotus buds and in her right hand she is shown delicately
holding her gold-embellished transparent chunari.
9. Their attire and jewelery are depicted as per Rajput tradition.
10. The background is shown in various flashes of dark blue.

6. JODHPUR PAINTING STYLE

 The creation of paintings started in the middle of the 17th century during the reign of Maharaja
Jaswant Singh (1638–78).
 Topics related to Krishna have been preserved in a special form with Bhagwat Purana.
 Important painting collections- Ramayana (1804), Dhola-Maru, Panchatantra (1804) and
Shivpuran.

Main Image - Chaugan Player

Substyle – Jodhpur Painting Style
Reign – Raja Mansingh
painter - artist mage
Time – 1810 AD
Medium – Water Color
Technique - Tempera
Collection - National Museum, New
Delhi
Subject: In this painting the princess
is shown playing Chaugan (Polo) with
her friends.
Features:-
1. Mughal influence is visible in the depiction of women and Deccan influence is clearly visible in the
depiction of horses.
2. The influence of Bundi and Kishangarh is found in the depiction of facial features.
3. Green indicates indigenous preference for flat background.
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4. There is a line written in the upper part of the painting which translates to – “The game of girls riding
on horses.”
5. The painting shows 6 princesses playing polo or chaugan.
6. He is shown riding his well-equipped horses (in white, blue and dark grey).
7. The painting depicts the movement of horses in different directions, while the princesses are shown
playing polo/chaugan.
8. He is shown wearing different colored ornaments and royal attire.
9. The princesses' heads are covered with beautiful ornaments.

7. JAIPUR PAINTING STYLE

Sawai Jai Singh (1699–1743) founded a new capital, Jaipur, in his name in 1727 and shifted it
from Amer.
Subject: Being attracted towards Vaishnav sect, many paintings were made on the subject of Radha-
Krishna. Collections of paintings based on Rasikapriya, Geet-Govind, Barhamasa and Ragamala were
created by artists during the reign of Sawai Jai Singh.
During the time of Pratap Singh, apart from the paintings depicting royal iconography and court
grandeur, literary and religious subjects like Geet Govind, Ragamala, Bhagwat Purana etc. got a fresh
impetus.
Prominent painters- Sahibram, Muhammad Shah and Guman

Key Painting - Meeting of Ram and his family in Chitrakoot

Substyle – Jaipur Painting Style
Reign – Sawai Ishwari Singh
Painter - Guman
Time: 1740-50's AD
Medium – Water Color
Technique - Tempera
Collection - National Museum,
New Delhi
Subject: The painting depicts a
family reunion. Younger brothers
Bharat and Shatrughan along with
their family and gurus had come to
Chitrakut from Ayodhya to ask
Rama to accept the throne after the demise of their father Dasharatha.

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 The story in the painting begins with three mothers moving into hut-like dwellings with the
princes' wives in Chitrakoot. As soon as they see the mothers, Ram, Lakshman and Sita bow in
reverence. Grief-stricken Kaushalya rushes to her son Ram and takes him in her arms. Rama then
respectfully greets the other two mothers, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. Then they dutifully accept the sages and
sit down and talk to them. When the sage tells the news of Dasharatha's death, Ram suddenly collapses
in pain. Sumanta is shown standing respectfully behind the sages. The three mothers and the wives of
Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna are depicted talking to Sita. The narrative ends with the group
emerging from the painting frame on the right. Every character of the story has been depicted in the
painting.
Features:-
1. The theme of Ramayana has been depicted through 49 human figures.
2. Bharat and Shatrughan arrive at Chitrakuta with their wives, mothers, gurus (rishis) and eminent
officials and are shown chasing Ram, Lakshman and Sita back to Ayodhya.
3. Bharat, Shatrughan are shown wearing similar light pink clothes and the mother is shown wearing
white clothes.
4. Sita and her wives are seen wearing pink clothes.
5. Ram is shown fainting after hearing the sad news of the death of his father Dasharatha.
6. In the upper part, Sita is shown discussing and conversing with her mother-in-law.
7. At one point, Ram is shown asking for forgiveness from the gurus, while Lakshman is shown standing
behind him and Bharat and Shatrughan are shown sitting together.
8. On the right hand corner of the painting, everyone is shown standing in a line possibly indicating the
time of farewell.
9. A dark green hut with a black structure is depicted in the background.
10. Trees, flowers and plants are painted on the back of the hut.
11. Hills are also shown behind the trees.
12. There is a water source in front which depicts a blooming lotus. A grove of trees is shown near a
water source.

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 Chapter 3
MUGHAL PERIOD MINIATURE PAINTING
In Mughal miniature painting, there has been a combination of indigenous subject matter and
painting style, Persian style and then European style. The art of this period shows a mixture of local and
foreign influences. The Mughal painting style at its peak presents a highly sophisticated blend of Islamic,
Indian and European visual culture and beauty.
Art became more formalized in the Mughal court, as there were workshops. The workshop also
included painters invited from Iran, resulting in a beautifully harmonious blend of Indian and Iranian
painting styles in the Mughal painting styles, especially during its early years. The superiority of Mughal
period painting could be achieved only by judicious matching of the specialties of their different painting
styles by painters of both Indian and Iranian origin. These painters contributed immensely in creating
the Mughal style and taking it to its artistic peak.
Comparison of Mughal painting style:-
The pre-Mughal style and its parallel indigenous painting styles in India had their own
specialties, in which their aesthetics and purpose lay. The original Indian painting style emphasized flat
landscape, strong drawing, colorful color scheme, and clear representation of figure and architecture.
Whereas the Mughal style focused on realistic (optical reality) depictions created by microscopic
techniques, three-dimensional depiction of figures. Scenes from the royal court, depictions of royal
persons, realistic depictions of flowers, plants and animals were the favorite subjects of Mughal painters.
Thus, the Mughal painting style emerged as a new sophisticated style in India at that time.
Early Mughal painting:-
The first Mughal ruler Babur came to India from present-day Uzbekistan in 1526. He was a
descendant of Timur and the Charaghtai Turks. He was renowned as a scholar and art connoisseur, a
generous patron of manuscripts and architecture. Babar's deep interest in iconography is mentioned in
his memoirs. In his memoirs, Bihzad is mentioned among the painters. Bihzad's paintings were beautiful
but he did not depict the faces perfectly, rather he made the faces with double chin very long and depicted
the beard attractively. Bihzad was the main painter of Iranian painting style. Herat (presently located in
Afghanistan) was known for its excellent composition and attractive color scheme. Shah Muzaffar is
also mentioned as a painter, whom Babar considered an excellent painter who depicted attractive
hairstyles.
Babar's son Humayun was appointed the ruler of India in 1530 but unfortunately due to adverse
political conditions, there were many ups and downs in his life. As soon as he reestablished his rule in
India, he invited two Persian painters, Mir Syed Ali and Abdus Samad, to set up studios in his court and
create royal portraits. In India, detailed information about the size, types and painters of its galleries is
not available. But the fact is known that he had started the illustration of 'Hamzanama' which was
continued by his son and successor Akbar.

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 AKBAR PERIOD PAINTING
The tradition and passion for painting started by Humayun was continued by his son Akbar
(1556–1605). Akbar's court historian Abul Fazal has mentioned Akbar's passion for art. He tells that
more than a hundred painters were appointed in his royal gallery.
Prominent painters – Mir Syed Ali, Abdus Samad, Daswant, Myskin, Govardhan
Features of painting of Akbar period:-
 Under his patronage, original projects of manuscript translation and illustration were completed.
 Strong outline drawing of trees, plants, leaves and other shapes.
 Use of bright colours.
 Most of the faces are marked laterally.
 Persian influence is visible in the exquisite dense intricate pattern carvings on the floors, pillars
and turrets.
 The rich color scheme of trees, vines and bright red-yellow colors is Indian.
 Got many important Sanskrit texts translated and illustrated in Persian language.
 Theme: - Under the patronage of Akbar, Mughal painting featured various themes which
included political victories, original court scenes, secular texts, images of important persons as
well as Hindu mythological, Persian and Islamic subjects.
(1) Main painting - Krishna lifting Govardhan mountain
Painter- Miskin
Time – (1585–90) AD
Ruler: Akbar period
Medium – Watercolour, Technique – Tempera
Collection - Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York,
United States of America
Theme - In this painting Lord Krishna lifts Govardhan
Mountain to save all his followers (villagers and their
animals) from the torrential rains sent by another powerful
god, Indra. Hari uses that mountain as a huge umbrella so that
the entire village can take shelter under it.
Features:-

❖ In the painting, the blue-skinned Krishna is shown

carrying the multicolored Govardhan mountain on his left
hand.

❖ He is shown wearing yellow clothes and multicolored ornaments around his neck.

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❖ He is shown wearing a crown with peacock feathers.
❖ He is shown with his neck bowed, saying something to the people of Gokul, who are shown standing
with their cattle at the foot of Govardhan Mountain.
❖ The painting depicts him saving her from the wrath of Indra.
❖ This hill shows the influence of Persian style in which different colors and creatures are shown
roaming here and there.
❖ The green and yellow trees along with the dense clouds on the hill are shown in dark blue.
❖ The depiction of trees shows the influence of Persian art.
(2) Main painting – Birth of Salim

Painter: Ramdas
Period: Akbar period

Medium – Watercolour, Technique –

Tempera

Circa: 1590 AD
Collection: National Museum, New Delhi
Theme - The miniature was painted on an episode from
the Akbarnama, which depicts the birth of Prince
Salim.

Features:-

❖ The people and courtiers of Fatehpur Sikri played

music and celebrated the occasion. Some of them
are shown playing drums, clarinets and other
instruments. Some royal officials are shown
distributing rewards to the people of Fatehpur Sikri.

❖ The painting is divided into three compartments. Akbar and the birth of his successor are the subject
of the upper section. The other two were filled with musicians and servants, with a growing excited
crowd outside.

❖ A rocky landscape is depicted in the background.

❖ This painting is an excellent example of the bustling movement and tension that Akbar's painters
often introduced in their work.

❖ Other points of interest in the painting are the distinctive bird's eye view on the upper level in contrast
to the lower panel where the artist is at the level of the depicted scene.

❖ Strong color contrasts and marked European influence, especially in scenes and costumes, are
particularly evident in this painting.

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 JAHANGIR PERIOD PAINTING
Prince Salim (Jahangir) started taking interest in art from a very young age. Unlike his father
Akbar (who created paintings and manuscripts on texts of political and religious importance), Jahangir
was inquisitive and inspired painters to make close observations and depict exquisite details.
Despite being the official royal gallery of Akbar, Jahangir, a fond patron of art, built his own
gallery along with his father's. Prince Salim became known as Jahangir after his return from Allahabad
and assuming the Mughal throne. Jahangir means capture of the world.
Prominent painters – Aqa Riza and his son Abul Hasan, Ustadmansoor, Manohar
Features of Jahangir period painting:-
 Under his patronage, the Mughal painting style achieved the highest degree of realism and
scientific purity.
 A glimpse of his curiosity and wonder is visible in his depictions of nature and the people around
him.
 While in Akbar's gallery, paintings were produced in large numbers, in Jahangir's gallery,
emphasis was laid on producing a small number of paintings with excellent quality by a single
artist.
 Murakka paintings gained popularity under the patronage of Jahangir. These collected albums
contained single images.
 The margins of the paintings were highlighted with gold color or gold mixed colors. Flowers,
leaves and sometimes even human figures were depicted in these margins.
 Instead of the depiction of war scenes, iconography, descriptions and narratives of stories
prevalent during the reign of Akbar, now there are minute details and sophisticated depictions
of grand rich court scenes, aristocratic royal images, characteristic features and specific features
of flowers, plants and animals. Ankan took it.
 Due to coming in contact with English traders, the influence of European art is clearly visible
during the period of Jahangir.
 Artists creatively combined the three styles of Indian, Persian and European and made Mughal
paintings the origin of the vibrant style of their time. It became a unique genre of its own kind.
(3) Main painting - Falcon on bird rest
Painter: Ustadmansur
Period: Jahangir period
Medium – Watercolour, Technique – Tempera
Circa: 1615 AD
Collection: United States of America
At the Cleveland Museum of Ohio
Theme: This painting is made by Ustadmansoor. Who was
awarded the title of Nadir ul Asr by Jahangir. Jahangir owned
many fine falcons and had them painted as an ardent connoisseur.
Jahangir narrates an interesting memoir of a falcon presented by
the Persian Emperor Shah Abbas. Jahangir got his painters to paint
the falcon after it was killed by a cat to preserve its memory for
the future.
Features:-
❖ The bird is painted white with the greyish black feathers of its
folded wings against a yellow background.
❖ The feeling of cruelty in its eyes is a symbol of great surprise.
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❖ The sharp beak and round alert eyes are painted in dark ocher and yellow. A thin string is tied around
the neck of the falcon and it hangs loosely on the ground.
❖ The border of the painting is black with golden patterns which was characteristic of the paintings
painted during the reign of Jahangir.

SHAHJAHAN PERIOD PAINTING

Jahangir's son Prince Khurram (1628–58) succeeded to the crown of Delhi under the name of
Shah Jahan. He not only acquired a politically stable empire, but also acquired excellent artists and
galleries.

Features of Shahjahan period painting:-

 Shah Jahan inspired artists to create magnificent works that combined imagination and
documentation.
 Preference was given to idealization and excessive stylization rather than naturalistic and
realistic depiction.
 The figures made under his supervision were impressive and focused on excellent beautification.
 The paintings were created using jewels, bright colors, perfect rendering and intricate image
drawing.
 High concepts were given great importance in the paintings and such scenes were created very
minutely in which many meanings came out from a single painting.
 The paintings painted during his time created a royal image which reflected his immense love
for diamonds and jewels.
 Royal images were painted with glorious titles that reflected the personality of the emperor
himself.

(4) Major painting – Kabir and Redas

Painter: Ustad Fakirullah Khan

Period: Shahjahan period

Medium – Watercolour,

Technique – Tempera

Circa: 1640 AD

Collection: National Museum, New

Delhi

Theme: The painting depicts two poets Kabir and Raidas. It shows the possibility of poeticism during
the Mughal period.

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Features:-

 This painting was made on the request of Dara Shikoh, as he paid due respect to Sufi saints.
 During the reign of Shahjahan, the fame of Saint Kabir and Raidas spread far and wide.
 The painting shows Kabir weaving cloth outside his hut.
 Near him Raidas is shown sitting on the carpet.
 Both are shown discussing some mystery.
 Ribs are visible on Kabir's body. A turban is shown on his head.
 The painting has been given a natural feel by coloring it in brown, black and white colors.
 The painting is decorated with a two-coloured border, which is typical of the style.

(5) Major painting – Marriage Procession of Dara Shikoh

Painter: Hazi Madni

Period: ShahJahan

Medium – Watercolour,

Technique – Tempera

Circa: 1640 AD

Collection: National Museum, New Delhi

Theme: This painting depicts the marriage of Dara

Shikoh, the eldest son of the Mughal emperor Shah
Jahan. It is one of the most visited paintings of the
Mughal period.

Features:-

❖ The painting has been done on a large paper with

great calmness and clarity.

❖ On the right, a group of people are shown

standing anxiously to welcome the groom's
party. Some are shown with a plate as a gift.

❖ On the left, men are shown sitting on horseback and women sitting on elephants. Some men are also
shown riding on elephants and playing large kettle-drums.

❖ Horses of different colors are shown in a row.

❖ The center of the painting depicts Dara Shikoh in royal attire, his face covered with a string of pearls,
riding a healthy and dark brown horse. People from the royal family are shown standing with him.

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❖ Behind him, Shah Jahan is shown riding an attractive horse with a green halo.

❖ Blank space is left with a colorful display of fireworks in the background.

❖ A boy is shown dancing in the foreground.

❖ Golden colored border with red and blue pattern is shown as the border.

❖ The skill and patience of the painter is commendable.

❖ This painting is a unique example of the provincial Mughal style or Subai Mughal style.

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 Chapter 4

DECCAN PAINTING STYLE

In the plateau regions of Southern India, an attractive, strong painting style with contemporary
regional and cultural characteristics developed under various Deccani rulers in the 16th-17th century.
The rulers of Bijapur, Golconda and Ahmednagar developed highly sophisticated distinctive styles of
painting. The Deccani style of painting was long considered the ‘Indo Persian style’. The basis of its
origin is considered to be the Middle Eastern Safavid, Persian, Turkish painting style or Mughal painting
style. It developed in the court of Yusuf Adil Shah of Bijapur in the early 16th century.

Features of Deccan Art:-

 The color scheme certainly differs from North Indian manuscript illustration which broadly
corresponds to Mughal painting. It has a more intense and rich color scheme. high
 The depiction of the raised circular horizon and golden sky shows Persian influence.
 The depiction of costumes in the depiction of women in the Ragamala painting series of Deccan
is quite interesting.
 In the female depiction, the bun of hair rests on the neck like Lipakshi frescoes.
 The horizon has disappeared, replaced by the depiction of small plants on a colorless neutral
background or the depiction of a Deccani-style domed object over a gallery.
 Depiction of human figures and depiction of historical and religious figures are visible in the
styles of this time.
 This style of illustration is famous for its excellent exact paintings. Artistic development is
particularly visible on a large scale in Asian Islamic art and Mughal art.
 The amazing juiciness of this painting style, the intensity of the sweet colors is linked to the
regional aesthetics.
 Painters created an atmosphere of love in the paintings of dense composition. In which there was
a natural expression of beauty.
 There is rhythmic delicacy of Persia and lush sensuality of Deccan.
 The three-dimensional aspect of European art is visible in the depiction of buildings.
 Tall, fair and emotional male figures and sensual looking women have been created.
 The human figures are endowed with beautiful faces, large open eyes, bold features, broad
forehead, long neck, triangularly inclined waist and neatly carved figures.
 The paintings have excitement, enthusiasm, mood, emotions and dramatic intensity.

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(1) Main painting - Ragini Pathmasika of Raga Hindol

Period: Bijapur style

Medium – Watercolour,

Technique – Tempera

Circa: 1590–95 AD

Collection: National Museum, New Delhi

Theme: It is an important part of the Ragamala

family of Indian musical genre.

Features:-

 Almost simultaneously with the

development of the Mughal style of painting,
a highly artistic form of painting developed
in the Deccan states.
 In this painting, the influence of Persian painting is visible in the decoration done on both the
domes.
 The upper part of the domes divides the painting where the blank space is written in Devanagari
script.
 Two women are seen beautifully dressed and wearing jewelery in the pavilion, while the third is
seen outside it.
 The woman player seated in the center is playing an Indian instrument that appears to be a veena,
while two other women nearby appear to be harmonizing with their bodies.
 There are bright colors in this painting. Red color is dominant and complimented by green color.
 The figures can be said to be stylized in the sense that their bodies, including faces, are
constructed on almost formulaic details.
 Almost all forms are emphasized along esoteric lines. This can also be seen in the frescoes of
Ajanta painted centuries ago.
 It is also worth noting here that in the left hand corner there is an elephant carrying a trunk,
which is a beautiful sign of welcome.
 Despite being small in size, the elephant arouses visual interest and breaks the structure of
architecture.
 The painting has a combination of red, blue, green, yellow (golden), black and white colors.
 Ragini Pathmasika is shown sitting on a seat in the middle of the pavilion and playing a musical
instrument.
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(2) Major paintings – Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusro

Period: Hyderabad style

Medium – Watercolour, Technique – Tempera

Circa: 1750–70 AD

Collection: National Museum, New Delhi

Theme: This painting depicts the early 17th century Sufi saints
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusro.

In this painting he is listening to the music of his disciple

and famous poet and scholar Hazrat Amir Khusro.

Features:-

 This painting taken from the court of Hyderabad is a very

simple painting without any technical and artistic
refinement. Despite this, it has a descriptive and attractive depiction of an Indian popular subject.
 In the painting, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi is shown sitting in a deep meditation posture
wearing green clothes and wearing a turban on his head. He was a prominent Sufi of Delhi)
 A yellow halo is shown behind his head.
 He is shown with a white beard.
 On its front side, his disciple, the famous musician Amir Khusro, is shown sitting on his knees
and playing an instrument.
 The color of his turban and tunic is the same. A red colored waistband is also shown tied. His
black beard is a symbol of his youth.
 The courtyard is surrounded by thin red stripes on yellow color and red colored net.
 Flowering plants are shown on the horizon.
 A large tree with red and yellow colored fruits and flowers is shown.

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(3) Main painting - Chand Bibi playing polo

Period: Bijapur style

Medium – Water colour,

Technique – Tempera

Circa: 1750–70 AD

Collection: National Museum, New Delhi

Theme: This painting is of Chand Bibi, the queen of

Bijapur, the most prosperous and culturally
sophisticated Deccan state. In this painting she is
shown playing Chaugan.

Features:-

 The painting depicts Chand Bibi and three

other women players in royal attire playing
polo, mounted on horses.
 A source of water is shown in the foreground
with many white colored birds and red and
blue colored flowers shown.
 Greenery is shown in the back part of the field.
 In the central part, the players are shown riding white and yellow horses, facing each other, trying
to control the white ball with their sticks.
 All 4 horses are also shown healthy and decorated.
 One of the players is shown raising his hand upward.
 A huge fort and its ramparts are depicted in the background. Many small and big buildings and
trees are shown in the fort. Sun is shown in yellow colour.
 Both the upper and lower parts of the painting feature broad borders with green and yellow
colours.
 Calligraphic work in Persian style can be seen on those margins.

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 Chapter 5
PAHARI PAINTING STYLE
The painting developed in the mountainous region is known as Pahari painting style. Between
the 17th and 19th centuries, Basohli, Guler, Kangra, Kullu, Chamba, Mankot, Nurpur, Mandi, Bilaspur,
Jammu and other hill towns of the Western Himalayas emerged as centers of painting. Among which
Basohli, Guler, Kangra, Kullu, Chamba are prominent.
(1) BASOHLI STYLE
The first and influential example of art of the hill state comes from Basohli. The enlightened
king Kripal Pal ruled this state from 1678 to 1695.
The artists of Basohli Chitrashala gradually moved to other hill states, such as Chamba and
Kullu, and created the Basohli (pen) style with local variations. Hence, starting from Basohli, this style
gradually spread to other hill states – Mankot, Nurpur, Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur, Chamba, Guler and
Kangra.
Subjects:-
Bhanu Dutt's Raas Manjari was the most popular subject of Basohli artists. In 1694–95, Tarkhan
(carpenter painter) Devidas created a luxurious series of paintings for his patron Raja Kripal Pal.
Bhagwat Purana, Ramayana and Ragamala were famous subjects of painting. Artists created portraits
of local kings as well as portraits of their wives, courtiers, astrologers, physicians, courtesans and others.
Features:-
 Dominant primary colors, warm yellow-toned backgrounds, high horizon lines, stylized
depictions of nature, and the emulation of embossed whites that reflect pearls in jewelry all
characterize this style.
 Use of small bright green insect-wing fragments to paint jewelery and simulate the effect of
emerald. Their bright colors and elegance share the beauty of the West Indian Chaur Panchashika
group of paintings.
Key Painting – Waiting Krishna and skeptical Radha
Painter- Manku
Style – Basohli Chitrakala Style
Time – 1730 AD
Medium – Watercolour,
Technique – Tempera
Collection - National Museum,
New Delhi
Theme: Heartbroken over being ignored
by Krishna, Radha is sitting sadly in the
grove with her friend. Where Sakhi is
describing how Krishna is surrounded by
beautiful Gopis. After some time,
Krishna feels guilty and searches for Radha, but does not find her, he mourns for her. Then the
messenger Gopi goes to Radha and expresses Krishna's longing for her.
Features:-
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  In this picture, Radha is seen shy and hesitant to go into the bushes while Krishna is eagerly
waiting.
 The source of the artist's imagination is the beautiful song of Jayadeva mentioned on the back of
the picture.
 Krishna is shown wearing a yellow colored dhoti and a string of pearls.
 Gopis are shown in transparent clothes.
 The attractive faces of the Gopis, large eyes, arched eyebrows, round forehead and long attractive
nose are the features of the painting.
 On the left the Gopis are shown conversing.
 Radha's facial expressions and costumes are similar to those of the Gopis.
 Multicolored and multi-designed leaves of trees are shown in the background.
 This painting is a unique example of Basohli Subschool.

(2) KANGRA STYLE

Painting in Kangra region flourished under the patronage of a distinguished ruler, Raja Sansar
Chand (1775–1823). It is believed that when Raja Prakash Chand of Guler was unable to save his
painting gallery due to financial constraints, his main artist Manku and his sons took shelter from Raja
Sansar Chand of Kangra.

In the initial phase, the paintings of 'Kangra Kalam' developed in Alampur and the most mature
paintings were painted in Nadaun where Sansar Chand later shifted.

Major subjects – Bhagwat Purana, Geet Govind, Naldamayanti, Bihari-Satsai, Ragamala and
Barhamasa were the popular subjects of depiction. Many other paintings contain accounts of Sansar
Chand and his court. Sansar Chand is shown sitting on the river bank, listening to music, watching
dance, presiding over a festival, tying tent pegs and archery, doing military exercises etc. Ashtanayika
or eight heroine depictions have been the main theme of the Pahari style

Prominent artists- Nainsukh, Fattu, Parkhu and Khushlal etc. were the prominent artists of Kangra style.

Features:-

 Kangra's miniature paintings are the pride of Pahari miniature paintings.

 Kangra style is the most poetic and lyrical Indian style.
 It makes its mark in showcasing lasting beauty and softness.
 Fine lines, bright colors, detail in ornamentation and basic colors of red, yellow and blue are
pleasantly calming and graceful.
 Depiction of the faces of the most prominent female figures—straight lines from forehead to
nose. The gentle depiction of the characteristics of female figures is pleasing.
 The beautiful depiction of borders, ornaments and buildings is praiseworthy.
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  The balanced figures of trees, detailed pictorial representation of landscapes and hills are
characteristic of this style.
 Kangra style reached its excellence during the reign of Raja Sansar Chand.

Major paintings – Nanda, Yashoda and Krishna

Painter- Nainsukh

Style – Kangra Chitrakala Style

Ruler – Raja Sansar Chand

Time – 1785-90 AD

Medium – Watercolour,

Technique – Tempera

Collection - National Museum,

New Delhi

Theme - This painting also depicts a

scene from the Bhagavata Purana in which Nanda is depicted traveling towards Vrindavan with his
family and relatives. He saw that Gokul was infested by demons, who were trying to harass Krishna to
the utmost extent, so he decided to move to a safe place.

Features:-

 In the picture, Nanda is sitting on the bullock cart, leading the group and in the bullock cart
coming behind him are the two brothers - Krishna and Balram, along with their mothers -
Yashoda and Rohini.
 Men and women are walking together carrying household items and children with them.
 His expressions and actions have been depicted very minutely.
 Leaning of their heads to one side while talking to each other, showing the feeling of fatigue
with their eyes drooping due to the weight on their head and holding the vessel placed on their
head tightly with drawn hands etc. are examples of amazing observation and excellent skill.
 The painter has observed the natural scenes very closely and displayed them in a natural manner.
 Nuances are expressed in a meaningful way.
 Photograph similarity gives reality to the picture, we can also see that in this combination.

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 Chapter 6
BENGAL SCHOOL AND CULTURAL NATIONALISM
Company Painting Style:-

In the 18th century, when the East India Company came to India and established colonialism in
India, the British were attracted by Indian art. Particularly influenced by the lifestyle, fauna and flora of
the various people here, he commissioned many local artists to get narrative illustrations done.

To please their new patrons, these artists began to depict the lifestyle around them in a traditional
manner. This means that he started doing realistic depictions which is a characteristic of the European
style. This mixed art is a combination of Indian and European art which is known as 'Company Style'.

Raja Ravi Verma

The art schools established by British artists experimented with oil colours, which were used in
academic style paintings.

This type of style is visible in the paintings produced by Raja Ravi Varma, a painter from the
Travancore state in Kerala. Indian royals tended to paint imitations of popular European style paintings,
where they mastered the realistic style and painted scenes from epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata. With
time, he became so popular that oleography of his paintings started being sold in the market and religious
paintings made by him started being decorated in the form of calendars in the homes of common people.

By the end of the 19th century, with the rise of nationalism in India, this academic style created
by Ravi Varma came to be considered foreign. Along with this, this style of showing Indian myths and
history came to be considered as Western style. Amidst such nationalist thinking, 'Bengal School of Art'
was established in the first decade of the 20th century.

"Introduction to Bengal School of Painting"

historical background:
Who originated the Bengal School of Paintings:
The modern and nationalist school first started from Bengal and was not limited to this region
only. It was an art movement and a painting style that originated in Calcutta, the center of British power,
but within a short time it spread to different parts of the country (even Santiniketan, where India's first
art school was established). Gaya) It was associated with the nationalist movement (Swadeshi) led by
Thakur Abanindranath Tagore (1871–1951). Whom the British administration and the Principal of
Calcutta School of Art, E.B. Full assistance came from Havel (1861–1984).

Both Havell and Tagore were critics of the Company style. Both of them strongly believed in
creating a new style of painting. Which is Indian not only in subject but also in painting style. For him,
Mughal paintings and Pahari miniature paintings were important sources of inspiration which were
Indian in both subject and style.

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Origin and development of Bengal School of Painting:
 E.B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore Both felt that there was a need to analyze the
characteristics of Indian style in art. For this purpose he established the Government College of
Art, which is currently known as the Government College of Art and Craft, (present Kolkata).
 E.B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore designed a new curriculum to incorporate and encourage
the techniques and themes of the Indian tradition in art. Tagore's famous painting Journey's End
has the influence of Pahari and Mughal styles, which gives rise to a new Indian style.
 Abanindranath Tagore was the main artist and creator of the 'Indian Society of Oriental Art', an
important magazine which provided an opportunity to modern Indian artists to learn from its
grand history.
 (Contribution of Prof. E.B.Havell) He was supported by Professor E.B.Havell, Principal of the
Government Art School, Kolkata. So in 1904, to encourage Indian art, he removed all copies of
European paintings and sculptures from the school's art gallery and replaced them with India's
indigenous art. Thus the influence of Ajanta, Bagh, Rajput and Mughal art can be clearly seen
in the paintings of the Bengal School. Thus the paintings of the Bengal School were full of Indian
spirit, subject, medium and technique.
 Professor E.B.Havell was so impressed by Abanindranath's work that he appointed him Vice-
Principal and Head of the Faculty of Arts. The artists of this tradition were Abanindranath
Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Nandlal Bose and Jamini Roy.

Artistic Aspects/Features:

 Abanindranath revived ancient frescoes and medieval Indian miniatures and took inspiration
from both the subject matter as well as the technique of tempera.
 In rejection of colonial aesthetics, Abanindranath turned to Asia, especially Japan, in an attempt
to assimilate and propose a pan-Asian aesthetic independent of Western aesthetics. Japanese
greats like Okakura Kakuzo left an indelible mark, as Bengal school artists learned wash
techniques from him.
 Abanindranath combined watercolor with Japan's indigenous tempera and vase techniques. This
mixed form was adopted by many of Abanindranath's students and others who formed the
nationalist art movement often called the Bengal School of Painting (Pan-Indian Art). During
this period, along with religious, social and historical scenes, mysterious and romantic scenes of
Indian landscapes, paintings, animals and birds were also depicted.

Artists and their contribution to the Indian National Movement:

• Painters Abanindranath Tagore, Nandlal Bose, Asit Kumar Haldhar, Kshitindranath Majumdar,
Sardarcharan Ukil, M.A.R. Chughtai; Sculptors Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhury, Ramkinkar
Baijand and print maker Mukul Dey took Indian art to new heights with their techniques and
contributed to the Indian national movement.

• Nandlal Bose, understanding the importance of art in teaching new concepts or ideas, made
booklets by drawing Painting using the technique of 'woodcut'. For this reason, Mahatma Gandhi

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 invited him to paint panels to be displayed at the Congress session in Haripura in 1937. This
picture became famous by the name of ‘Haripura Poster’ in which the activities of the rural people
were depicted.

• Jamini Roy is a typical example of modern Indian art, rejecting the academic training offered in
modern art schools and adopting the flat and colorful style of the villages.

• He sought to develop an indigenous but modern style in Indian art as a response to the call for
'Swadeshi', which ended the dominance of the British idiom. The 'Swadeshi Movement' was a
part of the Indian independence movement, which involved the boycott of British products and
the revival of domestic products and production processes. Therefore, the Bengal School laid the
foundation of modern trends in Indian art.

MAJOR ARTISTS AND THEIR ARTWORKS

(1) Abanindranath Tagore (1871–1951)

Abanindranath Tagore is seen as the father of nationalist and modern art in India. He revived
some aspects of Indian and oriental traditions, notably inventing wash painting as a subject, style and
technique. The wash painting technique produces a soft, hazy and impressionistic landscape. The
washing creates a hazy and
atmospheric effect in the paintings
which is used to symbolize the end of
life.

Painting: Journey's End (1913)

Artist: Abanindranath Tagore
Medium: Water color
Technique: Voss
Collection: National Gallery of
Modern Art, New Delhi
Subject matter-
An exhausted camel sitting on a red background of sunset symbolizes the end of the journey in
the evening.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
 On the one hand, Abanindranath has tried to express the experience and statement through
symbolic beauty, while on the other hand he has tried to create an alliance of beauty and
literature.
 The camel's physical structure has been depicted with precise lines and soft colors and its sensory
structure makes the meaning of the picture clear.
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  This painting was published in Bengal magazine Pravasi and got recognition for the first time.
 The painting depicts an exhausted yellow-brown camel laden with heavy luggage, tied with blue,
black, brown and yellow strings.
 The nature and suffering of the weak, tired, hungry and thirsty camel is depicted by its bent body
and half-closed eyes.
 The heavy load on the camel's back symbolizes the exploitation and oppression of its owner.
 Nevertheless, the camel wants to remain loyal to its master and thus tries to stand up again with
all its strength and courage.
 To show courage the artist has shown blue colored stones under the camel.
 With proper combination of red, yellow and brown colors in the background the artist has
depicted the real feeling of redness in the desert at sunset.
 Through painting, Abanindranath tried to awaken human sensitivities, compassion and sympathy
towards their pets.

Other Painting by Abanindranath -

The Forest, Coming of Night, Mountain Traveller, Queen of the Forest and Arabian Nights are
a series of 45 paintings based on Bharat Mata, Birth of Buddha, Buddha and Sujata, Tishyarakshita, Taj
Mahal, Death of Shahjahan, The Evening of Life and Fog and Evening (wash technique) is a famous
painting by Abanindranath.

(2) Nandlal Bose (1882–1966)

Born in Munger (Kharagpur), Nandlal Bose studied at the Art College, Kolkata, where he was
introduced to Vice-Principal Abanindranath Tagore and his technique of modern Bengal painting.

• In collaboration with Abanindranath, Nandlal assisted the English mural painter Ladyheringam and
was sent to replicate the murals of Ajanta and Bagh caves.

• This exposure led to widespread maturity and changes in art styles.

• Sati, 'The Death of Sati', and 'The God of Fire' (Agni Devta) served to restore life to traditional Indian
painting. His famous paintings are Shiva Drinking Poison, Parthasarathy, Returning of Buddha,
Swarnakalash, Shivalok, Sujata, Uma, Veenavadini, Ardhanarishvara, Vriksharopan, Tiller of the Soil,
Mother and Child etc.

• His linocut made on the Dandi March is very famous.

• In 1920 he was appointed as the Principal of 'Kala Bhavan' and was also awarded special degrees from
several universities. Government in 1961. The Government of India honored him with 'Padma Bhushan'.

• He depicted Indian folk art and Indian public life on the panels of the pavilion built for the Haripura
conference of the Indian National Congress.

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Painting: Tiller of the Soil (1938)
Artist: Nandlal Bose
Medium: Ink drawing
Technique:Tempera
Collection: National Gallery of Modern Art,
New Delhi
Subject matter-
This picture is one of the panels created
by Nandalal Bose for the Haripura conference
of the Congress in 1938. In this panel, a farmer
is shown plowing a field
Artistic Aspects/Features:
 The daily activities of a common man in
a village have been depicted. The painting depicts an Indian farmer plowing a field in the
traditional manner and is depicted through three serpentine lines.
 The dark skinned farmer is shown with a white turban and dhoti.
 The plow is shown in brown colour, the oxen in white and the clothes on their backs in blue.
 Bose depicted local villagers or villagers in pen and ink to depict elements or experiences of
rural life, using broad brushes to create powerful oblique lines with dark tempera.
 This use of technique and style is reminiscent of the ‘Patua’ folk art practice.
 Folk style is specifically intended to depict rural life. At the same time it also presents Gandhi's
political views on rural life.
 There is a depiction of an arch in the background of the panel.
 It is painted with thick and thin cross-transverse of water colors on paper but with the best
combination of rhythm, temperament and technique of wash.
 The influences of the frescoes and sculptures of Ajanta can be seen on these plates made by Bose
– in the expression of ornamentation, clear color combination and conference with nature. More
than 400 posters were prepared at Kala Bhavan under the supervision of Bose, who was
influenced by Gandhi's ideas. These posters depict the common people as important actors in the
process of nation building. In this way Bose used art to build the moral character of the country.

(3) Muhammad Abdul Rehman Chughtai (1898–1975)

Muhammad Abdul Rehman Chughtai painted on paper using wash and tempera techniques. He was a
descendant of Ustad Ahmed, the chief architect of Shah Jahan who designed the Jama Masjid and Red
Fort in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra. He was influenced by Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath
Tagore and Nandlal Bose. He experimented with wash techniques and used calligraphic lines in Mughal
manuscripts and old Persian paintings.

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Picture: Radhika (1940)
Artist: Muhammad Abdul Rehman Chughtai
Medium: watercolor on paper
Technique: Tempera and wash
Collection: National Gallery of Modern Art, New
Delhi
Subject matter-
The nature of girlfriend Radhika has been
depicted artistically in the painting. In which Radhika is
shown moving away from a burning lamp where the
background atmosphere is neutral.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
 She is adorned with a necklace hanging down
around her neck, one made of beads and the
other on red thread with special ornamentation.
 She is adorned with bangles and jewelery on both her arms.
 In his right hand which hangs down, he is shown gently holding a lotus with a bee on it
symbolizing the presence of Krishna.
 With the other hand she is shown touching the flower on her face and feeling its softness.
 She is shown wearing a light purple, transparent-loose skirt with a yellow chunari covering her
waist and skirt.
 On the left, a lamp is shown emitting red and yellow light. And the light scattered from the lamp
was reflected from the clothes he was wearing.
 The background is shown with mixed colors of blue, red and yellow.
 The gentleness and rhythm of colors and lines is important in painting.
 Radha has been depicted so charmingly in this picture, as if it is a line from a musical poem.
 Other Painting include sad Radhika, Omar Khayyam, dream, Hiraman parrot, woman under a
tree, musician woman, man behind a grave and woman lighting a lamp etc.

(4) Artist- Ram Gopal Vijayvargiya (1905-2003 AD)

 Born in a small village called 'Karauli' in Sawai Modhpur district of Rajasthan, he received his
education under the tutelage of Guru Shailendranath Dey. Keeping in mind his interest in art,
his father Bhanwar Lal enrolled him in Maharaja School of Arts and Crafts.
 By sheer coincidence, Ramanand Chatterjee, editor of Modern Review, an English magazine
published from Kolkata, published his painting depicting three women carrying a pitcher on
their heads and this brought him recognition.
 He then sent his paintings like Vishal Bharat, Saraswati, Chand and Madhuri for publication in
various magazines in Gujarati, Bengali and Urdu languages.
 Abhigyan Shakuntalam, Meghdoot, Kumar Sambhav, Omar Khayyam and Bihari Satsai were
the main subjects of his paintings.
 He was rich in versatile talent. He had published three poetry collections, one story collection
and about half a dozen books on art in Hindi and Brijbhasha.

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  Rajasthan Academy honored him with poetry award for his poetry collection named 'Abhisar
Nisha'.
 In 1984, the Government of India honored him with the title of Padmashree.
Painting: Meghdoot
Illustrator/Artist: Ram Gopal Vijayvargiya
Period: Modern/Bengal School
Medium: watercolor on paper
Technique: Tempera and wash
Circa: 1940 AD
Collection: National Gallery of Modern Art, New
Delhi (see book for Paintings)
Subject matter:
The painting depicts lovers Yaksha and
Yakshini.
Description/Composition:
• In the painting, the lovely Yaksha and
Yakshini are shown in realistic color scheme,
riding and flying on white cotton clouds in
harmony in the blue sky.
• This painting is one of the Meghdoot series.
• The painting has excellent color combination
with interesting artistic style.
• Yaksha is shown with curly hair, pearl earrings and necklace along with excellent physical
structure, smile on face, gentle hands and figures, lotus in his right hand, and yellow colored
clothes mesmerize the mind of the audience. Let's do it.
• With love in the eyes and a smile on the lips, the Yakshini is shown sitting behind the Yaksha,
clinging to his back and holding him with her right hand in an embracing posture.
• Her hair is shown braided with white flowers and a beautiful pearl necklace hangs around her neck.
• She is shown wearing a pink colored garment in the upper part and a bright yellow colored garment
in the waist area.
• She is shown wearing jewelery like anklets on her feet and bangles on both her hands.
• The sky is blue at the top and becomes lighter as it moves towards the clouds.
• Four white birds are shown flying in the foreground.
• Attractive and pleasing color combination creates a feeling of softness in the painting.

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 Chapter 7

MODERN INDIAN ART

"Modern Trends in Indian Art"

Historical background:

Indian modern art includes many genres such as drawing, painting, photography and modern
sculpture, where Western or European style was given more importance rather than the traditional Indian
style.

At the end of the 19th century, there was a revolution in Indian art due to the efforts of
Abanindranath Tagore, who became famous as the Bengal School of Art. However after a period of 30
years, the same style of Bengal School art came to be called archaic and conservative. Many artists of
the school therefore began to reference the styles and movements of the Western world in their paintings
to achieve worldwide recognition.

Gaganendranath Tagore was influenced by the bright urban surroundings of Kolkata and
emphasized light and shadow effects in his paintings, much like Cubism in Europe. Whereas
Rabindranath Tagore depicted naturalism in his paintings and emphasized on an expression and this
approach became famous as Expressionism.

Jamini Roy and Nandlal Bose had a rural outlook in their works, which was influenced by their
own surroundings. These creative works came to be considered modern (contemporary) art in India.

Artists of that time were busy defining modernism in their own ways, as some of them declared
themselves secularists, while another group of artists trained on foreign soil to prove themselves modern.

Influenced by communist ideology, a group of artists like Francis Newton Souza, Maqbool Fida
Hussa established a group named "Progressive Artists Group" in 1947 AD. The artists of the group
rejected and welcomed the style of Bengal art. 'International Modern Art'. Francis Newton Souza
reached world-class heights by drawing European styles of Cubism, Surrealism and Primitivism in his
artworks.

However, there were some prominent artists - Manishi Dey, Mukul Dey, Ramkumar, Tayyab
Mehta, Akbar Padmaji, Prokash Karmokar, Narayan Ramachandran, who formed several art schools
which introduced modern techniques and ideas that provided new foundations to the field of art. Used.

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 (I) MAJOR PAINTINGS AND ARTISTS
(1) Raja Ravi Verma
Raja Ravivarma's paintings focus on mythological subjects (mythological stories). He is the first
artist in India to paint mythological subjects using oil paint and lithography techniques.
Painting: Ram Vanquishing the Pride of the Ocean
Painter: Raja Ravi Varma
Medium and technique: Oil on canvas
Time: 19th century
Collection: Chitrashala, Mysore
Subject matter-
The picture is based on a historical moment
from the epic Ramayana for dramatic effect. The artist
has made an emotional depiction in this picture. This
scene is taken from Valmiki Ramayana where Rama
wants to cross the ocean with his army. For this he
prays to the sea god, Varuna, but when the sea god
does not give any answer, Ram gets angry and takes
his bow and arrow to kill Varun Dev. Immediately,
Varun Dev appeared and pacified Rama.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
• The famous mythological painting 'Rama conquering the pride of the sea'. This is an incident from
Ramayana written by Valmiki. The subject of the painting is Rama's anger at his failure to build a
temporary bridge over the sea to reach Lanka and bring back Sita, kidnapped by the demon king
Ravana.
• Rama is angry and picks up his bow and warns the sea god that he will destroy the ocean if Varuna
does not allow him to build the bridge.
• Ravi Varma took advantage of this moment and prepared his work on the principles of dynamic
equilibrium.
• Varun and his wife moved quickly to pacify the angry hero. In this, there is no movement in the
organs, rather the waves carry them forward at high speed. Energized by the dynamism of that
element, the figures rise above the water.
• Ram has a strong linear shape moving forward balancing the pyramid like group. Her posture and
flowing robes indicate the strength of the wind blowing from the sea.
• The sea has been turned into ridge-like waves with foam all around and the foreground stands out
strongly in contrast to the agitated sea in its weight and texture. They enhance the impression of
indomitable resolve created by the Painting of Rama.]
 Other major paintings of Raja Ravi Varma include Ahilya's liberation, Ram breaking the bow,
Before Sita's marriage, Ram, Sita and Lakshman crossing the Sarayu, Sita abducted and Jatayu, Sita
in Ashoka Vatika, Ram's tilak etc. Are.
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(2) Jamini Roy (1887–1972)
Jamini Roy was born in April, 1887 in a small zamindar family in Beliatore, an unnamed village
in the Bankura district of West Bengal. The richness and culture of rural life contributed greatly to the
cultural development of his later life. He joined the Calcutta Art School in 1903 where the discipline of
formal training helped him acquire technique and maturity. From 1925 he started painting in the 'Patua'
style of Kalighat. His paintings gained international fame after exhibitions in London in 1946 and New
York in 1953. He was a lonely traveler and art was a mission for him. Jamini Roy is called the father of
the renaissance of folk art because of giving a distinct identity to folk art in Indian modern art.
Painting: Woman with child or Woman and child
Painter: Jamini Roy
Medium and technique: In natural colors in tempera and
gouache technique.
Time: 1940 AD
Collection: National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi
Subject matter-
In his painting 'Mother and Child', he has used dynamic
lines with very simple colors, which along with his practice of
paintbrush also makes clear his simple emotional personality.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
'Mother and Child' is one of Jamini Roy's famous
paintings immortalizing motherhood. This painting symbolizes
the soothing peace common in Eastern philosophy. In the storms
and stresses of modern life there is no indication that mother and
child have found fulfillment in each other. He has removed all
unnecessary ornamentation in his work and has made the
painted lines of curves and ellipses come alive with a sculptural
quality. The lines bring out the figure with clarity and the bends
and swells of the curves show the figure in correct posture. Big eyes and oval face radiate physical
coolness and complete calmness without being affected by any stress of modern life. In the picture, dull
yellow and brick red color has been used in the background, which was the ocher color of the clay idols
of his village Bakunra. Making this two-dimensional picture on cloth in a very simple manner was his
own discovery. Roy simply showed the rhythmicity, clarity of decoration and musicality of the
paintings. The figures are arranged in a single frontal plane and there is no suggestion of foreground and
background. But to become proficient in the art of painting, he first made many monochrome paintings
and only then he used the initial seven colors in the tempera method. He made all the colors from organic
materials, like gray color from stone powder, yellow from turmeric, white color from mercury powder,
pale yellow from alluvial soil, blue and milky from indigo etc. All these were easily found in the villages
around them, which were made from stone dust, clay, indigo or chalk. Roy made his canvases at home
and first sketched those using black and dark colors. Jamini Roy opposed colonialism through rural
ideology and made local art secondary.

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(3) Amrita Shergil (1913-1940)
Amrita Sher Gill was born on 30 January 1913 in Budapest, Hungary, to a Hungarian mother
and an Indian father, a scholar from a Sheikh Shahi family. The family returned to India in 1921 after
the First World War. She was educated and since she showed an unusual talent in art, she was sent to
the famous art school 'Ecole Nationale' in France. Through his academic training he achieved a high
level of proficiency in oil painting.
After spending almost six years in Europe, she wished to come back to India. From his return to
India in 1935 until his death at the age of 28, in 1941, he created about 40 paintings in oil painting that
are considered the masterpieces of Amrita Sher Gill.
Painting : Turmeric Grinder
Illustrator: Amrita Shergil
Medium and technique: Oil color on canvas
Time: 1940 AD
Collection: National Gallery of Modern Art, New
Delhi
Subject matter-
Amrita Shergill painted a picture titled
'Turmeric Grinder' in 1940. This was the time when
she was taking inspiration from the pleasant rural
scene of India. The scene, depicting Indian women
engaged in the traditional activity of grinding dry
turmeric, is depicted in the Indian style.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
Bright and moist colors have been used in the
picture. The subject has been presented in the picture in simple shapes. In a rural scene, four women are
grinding turmeric while talking to each other. Trained in modern art in Europe, he had an equal
understanding of the 'miniature style tradition' of northern India and the modern art of 'Paul Gang'. She
was admirable as an artist. This is a direct proof of this that he created the shapes of the person by
combining contrasting colors instead of external lines by bringing bright colors closer to each other.
Such paintings remind us, for example, of the Basohli painting style of North India. Women and trees
are depicted in flat shapes. Shergill was not interested in creating depth in the landscape and preferred
a semi-abstract form like a modern artist.

(4) M.F. Hussain (1915-2011 AD)

Maqbool Fida Hussain was born on 17 September 1915 in Pandharpur, Madhya Pradesh. His
primary education took place in Indore. He was named J.J. Got admission in. School of Art, Bombay
(now Mumbai), but due to adverse circumstances he had to leave that school. For livelihood he had to
paint posters related to cinema. The painting named 'Golden World' was exhibited by the Bombay Art
Society, Bombay in 1947. After that his works were exhibited serially. Which gave him international
fame.

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 In 'Mother Teresa' he has expressed love, hope and mercy; Whereas the series based on British
rule expresses satirical wisdom. He made some famous paintings based on the Gulf War, such as The
Theater of the Absurd and Splash Front Page etc. Hussain does not belong to any one genre. Although
his style is contemporary, his art is still deeply connected to the past. Nevertheless, the themes or ideas
and style are contemporary and modern; In which there is a clear glimpse of originality.
For his work, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and
Padma Vibhushan. Mysore University and Banaras Hindu University, Banaras awarded him the degree
of D.Litt.
Painting: Mother Teresa
Illustrator: Maqbool Fida Hussain
Medium and technique: Acrylic and oil
color on canvas
Time: 1979 AD
Collection: National Gallery of Modern
Art, New Delhi
Subject matter-
Painting of a faceless Mother Teresa holding an infant in her hands.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
• The Painting of a faceless mother holding an infant appears several times in paintings, where more
attention is paid to the depiction of the hands.
• The most distinctive feature of the paintings is that, a white sari with blue border is wrapped around
her forehead and flows around her body like the Byzantine draperies in Catholic churches.
• The blue bordered saree is the symbolic uniform of the orphanage and establishes its universal
motherhood. Both her hands are shown holding a child, while in the wide expanse of her saree two
other homeless children are sleeping peacefully.
• A young man is lying horizontally in the lap of the mother sitting in the centre. This scene shows
the artist's closeness to Western art. Its closeness is especially evident with the work Pieta of the
famous Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo.
• On the other hand, the use of flat shapes visually reflects modernity. They appear like a collage of
paper cutouts.
• The artist is not interested in depicting Mother Teresa's life realistically, rather he has used extreme
allusions. The artist leaves hints for us, the audience, to understand the gist of the story.
• It is a figure of a woman sitting on her knees, which in a way points us towards the story which
reveals the treatment and nutrition of the helpless in India. The left outstretched palm is meant to
reassure the needy that they have no fear, while the right palm is placed so as to hold the orphan
firmly to his body.

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 (II) MAJOR SCULPTURES AND ARTISTS
(1) Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhury (1899-1955)
Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhury Born in 1899 in Rangpur now Bangladesh, D.P.Roy Chowdhury
is one of the most talented and versatile artists India has ever produced.
He began learning drawing from Abanindranath Tagore and as his disciple he began painting in
water colors, both tempera and wash, on mythological subjects. His water color painting 'Green and
Gold' was shown at the London Exhibition. 'Nirvana' in oil, 'Bridge' in pastel, 'Durga Puja Procession'
in oil, are some of his great paintings.
After 1953 he was President and Director of the Academy of Fine Arts, Director of the UNESCO
Art Seminar in Tokyo. Received Honorary D.Litt degree from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata
and was awarded 'Padma Bhushan' by the Government.
Statue: Victory of Labor
Artist: Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhury
Period: Modern (Contemporary)
Medium: Bronze and cement
Circa: 1954 AD
Location: It was established on the eve
of Republic Day in 1959 on the
Marina coast of Chennai.
Subject matter-
In this sculpture, four male figures are shown trying to move a rock, which shows the importance
and contribution of human labor in nation building.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
• In this craft, invincible men have been shown fighting a tough and determined, powerful battle with
nature.
• 'Victory of Labour' will be a unique example of sculpture. The four figures of a group engaged in the
difficult task of moving a huge rock with the help of wooden logs are accurate anatomical studies of
men engaged in a difficult task requiring maximum physical effort.
• It is this Painting against the nature of labor that has been a popular free-spirited theme of the 19th
century.
• Devi Prasad had a special attraction towards the strong muscles and physical structure of the workers,
hence he presented them through their bones, muscles, nerves and musculature.
• He has expressed in the sculpture the hard physical labor required to move huge, heavy fixed rocks.
• The human figures have been arranged in such a way that they generate curiosity in the viewer and the
viewer is attracted to move around and look at the sculpture.
• The sculptor has excellently presented the difficult reverse movement which is a unique feature of the
sculpture.
• In this craft, a group of labor figures is installed on a high pedestal in a public place. This is in sharp
contrast to the tradition in which portraits of kings or British dignitaries were installed.
• Devi Prasad was greatly influenced by the French master sculptor Auguste René.

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(2) Ramkinkar Baij (1910-1980)
Ramkinkar Baij is a rare example of an artist who rose to greatness through sheer will and
dedication. He was born in 1910 in a poor family of barbers on the outskirts of Bankura, West Bengal.
The family could not save money for his papers, paint or his tuition. To paint, she had to steal spices
like turmeric from her mother's kitchen and vermillion from her cosmetics.
His creative urge was so great that when he could not find anything else to buy plaster of Paris
or other materials, he used red gravel, sand and cement for his famous outdoor sculptures like 'Santhal
Family', 'Sujatha', 'Harvester'. Used. The roadsides around the Kala Bhavan were directly sloped.
Statue: Santhal Family
Artist: Ramkinkar Baij
Period: Modern (Contemporary)
Medium: Metal Amature and Concrete Mixed
Cement
Around: 1937 AD
Location: Housed in the Kala Bhawan premises
of the National School of Arts, 'Santiniketan'.
Subject matter- In this sculpture the Santhal family
is shown migrating.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
• Ramkinkar Baij created this giant sculpture in
1937. It has been constructed from metal
amature and concrete mixed with cement and
is placed in the premises of Kala Bhavan of
'Santiniketan', the first national art school of
India.
• This sculpture depicts a scene in which a Santhal man is carrying his children in a double basket
attached to a pole and on one side his wife is depicted walking with him, on the other side a dog is
depicted is shown .
• This sculpture shows the migration journey of a migrant family from one place to another, carrying
all their possessions.
• This is an everyday scene for the artist, amidst the rural environment in which he lives, but he gives
it a monumental level.
• This sculpture is carved from all four sides, meaning the viewer can see it from all directions.
• It is placed on a low pedestal. The viewer feels that this sculpture belongs to the viewer.
• The importance of this sculpture lies in the fact that it is the first modern mass sculpture of India.
We do not need to go to the museum to see this. It is kept in the open, so that everyone can see it.
• The material used in its making makes this craft more important, because the artist has given
preference to cement instead of using traditional medium like marble, wood or stone, which is a
symbol of modernization.
• Ramkinkar's sculptures reflect his concern and feeling for the lives of the common people around
him.
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(3) Amarnath Sehgal (1922-2007)
Amarnath Sehgal was born in 1922 AD in Ampbelpur, Attock district of Pakistan. He came to
India after the India-Pakistan partition. In 1950, he received a Master of Arts degree from New York
University. He used to teach in Modern School, Delhi. He is known as a philosopher, poet, sculptor and
artist. His other works are Agonized Cries (bronze), Floating Cries (poetry) and Abyss of Life.

Statue: Cries Un-Heard

Artist: Amarnath Sehgal

Period: Modern (Contemporary)

Medium: Bronze Casting

Circa: 1958 AD

Location: National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Subject matter- It is a symbolic composition of a family of

three figures.

Artistic Aspects/Features:

Description/Composition:

• In this the artist has used only abstraction, in which three

figures appear like sticks and on a flat rhythmic plane.

• It is a symbolic composition of a family of three figures, in

which parents and their children express the sculptor's deep
pain over the injustice prevailing in the society. Although
they can be easily understood as a family i.e. husband, wife and a child. They are shown with their
arms raised and screaming for help.

• The tall figure with a hollow distorted face and raised hands towards the sky is telling the world how
they have been victims of political and social injustice for ages and there is no one to listen to their
protest.

• By expressing hand signals through the medium of sculpture, their compulsion has been converted
into a permanent shape.

• It is possible to understand this sculpture as socialist, where the artist pays tribute to the millions of
helpless families who need help and whose cries fall on deaf ears.

• Sehgal believes that it is the responsibility of the artist to convey the screams of the oppressed and
oppressed people to the society. The distortion of the picture presents a distorted view of social evil
and a society that has become free of human suffering. Lifelong exploitation has hollowed them out.

• This sculpture won him the President's Gold Plaque Award in 1958. This artwork is now stored in
the National Museum of Modern Art, New Delhi.
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(4) P.V. Janakiram (1930-1995)
P.V. Janakiram was born in 1930 AD in Madras (Chennai). He received a degree in Fine Arts,
Sculpture and Commercial Arts from the Art College, Madras. Janakiram's sculptures express mystical
principles. Their main feature is that the idols stand facing each other and are decorated with copper and
thin copper wires. His main sculptures include Krishna, Garuda, Ganesha and Christ; Other
compositions are Madonna and Child and the Flute Player.
Statue: Ganesha
Artist: P.V. Janakiram
Period: Modern (Contemporary)
Medium: In oxidized copper.
Circa: 1970 AD
Location: N.G.M.A, Delhi
Subject matter- Dancing figure of Ganesha with six
hands.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
• This sculpture is made in oxidized copper by P.V.
Created by Janakiram in 1970.
• He used copper sheet metal to create free-form pictorial
sculptures and decorated its surface with linear
elements.
• A metal sheet is hammered into a concave surface and linear details are welded onto it. These linear
and figurative elements invite serious contemplation as do religious icons.
• This is an example of 'repose' work which involves hammering concave surfaces into metal. This
has been called frontal sculpture or two-dimensional sculpture.
• Janakiram is influenced by the sculptures of the ancient temples of South India. The figure of
Ganesha is carved in the facing posture, which is an important indigenous character in cave and
temple sculpture.
• Ganesha is one of the popular and most worshiped deities in Hinduism. In this sculpture Ganesha is
playing a musical instrument, Veena. Ganesha has a six-handed figure, holding the Veena with the
lower two hands and playing the Veena, while the other four hands hold the traditional Shankha-
Chakra-Gada Padma.
• This sculpture reveals the craftsmanship of Janakiram. He has also used indigenous craftsmanship
with a quality of openness. He has given detailed form to the linear descriptions as a whole. Despite
the volume, instead of emphasizing the three-dimensional quality, he has designed the sculpture in
linear shape.
• It includes rhythm and growth through poetic style. It is also an integration of folk and traditional
craftsmanship.

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 (III) MAJOR GRAPHIC ARTS AND ARTISTS
(1) Somnath Hore (1921–2006)
Somnath Hore was born in Chittagong, (now in Bangladesh). He was a self-trained, talented
artist of modern India. His artworks clearly depict crimes against humanity and the circumstances arising
from them and the sufferings suffered during the terrible Bengal famine of 1943 and the India-Pakistan
war of 1975. Through his willpower, Somnath has acquired expertise in Chinese wood painting, linocut,
multicolored wood carving and intaglio graphic technique. He served as Professor at the College of Art
and Draftsmanship, Calcutta (Kolkata). , He then headed the Department of Graphic Arts at Delhi
Polytechnic, Delhi. Later he did M.S. Became inspector at University, Barod and Kala Bhawan,
Shantiniketan. , His works reveal the pain he felt throughout his life. His famous works are Birth of a
Rose, Dream, Standing Girl in Grief, Refugee, Unclad Beggar Family and The Children. He was given
many national awards for his achievements in the arts.
Graphic Print : Children
Artist: Somnath Hore
Period: Modern (Contemporary)
Medium: Graphic print-etching on paper
Circa: 1958 AD
Location: National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi
Theme: This etching depicts the tragedy of the famine-
stricken children of 1943.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
• 'The Children' is an engraving with aquatint in black and
white, a representational work by Somnath Hore,
depicting his lifelong protest against the injustice
inflicted on the humble and innocent poor people of the society by the rich and powerful ruling class.
Is a symbol. Be it famine or communal riot or war, they are the first to suffer and die miserably in
their thousands.
• His early drawings and paintings were based on his contemporary experiences of the lives of helpless
victims of famine, including dying farmers, their pain, sick and homeless men, women, children and
animals.
• This etching depicts the tragedy of the famine-stricken children of 1943, literally engraved in their
memory.
• It is a densely woven composition, in which 5 standing figures are shown in conversation without
any background, perspective and surroundings. These figures are linear and have a skeleton like
torso, which is suffering from malaria and whose rib bones are clearly visible.
• In these figures, a huge head, a small face and the entire body is seen standing on two thin stick-like
legs.
• The lines of the figure strongly define the poses and body, with the ribcage clearly visible, the
cheekbones lines clearly visible, like deeply incised wounds.
• The structure of the bones beneath the skin shows the effects of malnutrition.
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 • The carving depicts three emaciated children with bloated bellies and thin triangular ribs, large heads
and small faces with bulging eyes. His mother is standing behind him as if protecting him. Another
girl is standing in front of him equally emaciated. The deeply dug ribs and cheek bones are visible
as deep wounds.
• This picture creates the qualities of the story. Without the help of any visual data, a very simple and
concise method has been used to show this.
• These children represent the most vulnerable section of the society.
• Among other artworks of Somnath Hore, Peasants' Meeting, Wounded Animal, The Child, Mother
with Child, Beggar Family etc. are prominent.
(2) Jyoti Bhatt (1934)
Jyoti Bhatt or Jyotindra Manshankar Bhatt (born 13 March 1934): Jyoti Bhatt was born in 1934
in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. He has M.S. Had obtained Diploma and Post Graduate degree in Fine Arts from.
University, Baroda, gained fame as a successful graphic printer and renowned photographer. He was
greatly influenced by Picasso and Ben Nicholson. Expertise in printing attractive creations by intaglio
technique not only brought him fame but also honored him with some awards and national awards. He
was awarded Padmashree for his commendable contribution in the field of art. The excellence of his
graphic work is visible in 'Devi'.
Graphic Print : Devi
Artist: Jyoti Bhatt
Period: Modern (Contemporary)
Medium: Graphic print-etching on paper
Circa: 1970 AD
Located :-
Theme - 'Devi' reflects the idea of fertility and power,
worshiped as Shakti or Goddess in Tantric cult.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
• 'Devi' refers to the idea of fertility and power, worshiped
as Shakti or Devi in the Tantric cult. This power is
contained in both men and women in the form of
Kundalini, a serpent, at the base of the spine.
• Jyoti Bhatt has portrayed this concept beautifully through her etchings. He envisions the Kundalini
form encompassing the female reproductive power in the form of a young woman at the bottom of the
print.
• But he has deviated a little from the basic concept of Purusha Shakti residing in the brain and has
placed this power within the fold of Kundalini in the heart Devi Shakti.
• This deviation from Tantric concept may have arisen from the words "Pseudo Tantric Kundalini"
printed on the decorative pendant to the right of the goddess's head.
• This can be explained in such a way that the Tantrikas who make false pretenses, lure people with such
innovations for personal gain, extort money from them and deceive the society with their pretenses.
• Deep intaglio etching in black gives an artistic texture to the serpentine form.

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• Green color has been used artistically in the decorative pendants on either side of the goddess's head.
A magnificent bindi adorns the forehead of the goddess whose large open eyes look like the Durga
Paintings of Bengal.
• Other famous paintings of Jyoti Bhatt include Kalpavriksha, Self Portrait, Forgotten Monument, Sita's
Parrot, Steel Life with Two Lamps, Scattered Painting under the Warm Sky, Tirthankar etc.

(3) Anupam Sood (1944)

Anupam Sood was born in 1944 in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. He took a diploma from Delhi, learned
the art of painting. He made many experiments in various styles of intaglio; Such as becoming familiar
with etching, dry-point, silk-screen, mezzotint in lithography. His colorful intaglio paint 'Autumn' is a
work in which the expression of concern on his face is strikingly visible. Among his works full of
emotions and faces, 'Adam and Eve' and 'Man and Nature' are very important. His prints based on
photomechanical processes are given in the Dialogue Series. He received a gold bar as an award from
the President of India in 1975 for his commendable contribution in the field of art. He is still active in
Delhi for art.
Graphic Print: 'Of Walls'
Artist: Anupam Sood
Period: Modern (Contemporary)
Medium: Graphic print-etching on
paper
Approximately: 1982 AD
Located :-
Theme - In this painting a young woman
is sitting wearing the traditional dress of a
widow.
Artistic Aspects/Features:
Description/Composition:
• In this picture it can be clearly seen how he created an attractive picture of a woman through her
blank face.
• Despite the lack of details in the facial features, Anupam easily articulates the feelings of sadness,
sadness and sadness.
• In the picture, a woman is sitting alone on the footpath along the cracked wall. She was once a part
of these vibrant activities until a wall was erected to separate her from the social life of meaningful
activities.
• Her black face shows that she has become a non-entity, perhaps a piece at the feet of her head
husband, with whose death she too is dead to society.
• This print is a powerful protest against the society building such walls on the basis of caste, religion
and status. This whole combination expresses a feeling of sadness.

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(4) K. Laxma Gaur (born 1940 AD)

He was born in 1940 AD in Nizampur, Andhra Pradesh. He is one of the graphic painters of
modern India. After obtaining a diploma from the Government College of Art and Architecture,
Hyderabad, he completed his M.S. Received diploma from. University, Baroda. For some time he taught
Performing Arts and Fine Arts at the University of Hyderabad.

He was influenced by his teacher K.G. Subramaniam's experimental depictions of visual

traditions, classical folk and popular culture were particularly influential. Lakshma Gaur tries to reduce
the sharp distinction between fine arts and crafts periods and presents a new emotional style, due to
which he simultaneously establishes his equal authority on many mediums, such as glass painting,
terracotta and bronze art. .

Graphic Print: Man, Woman and Tree or Rural South Indian Man-Woman

Artist: K. Laxma Gaur

Period: Modern (Contemporary)

Medium: Graphic print-etching on paper

Approx: 2017 AD

Located :-

Theme - Scene of rural life.

Artistic Aspects/Features:

Description/Composition:

In the presented etching, human figures have been

depicted with trees in the background, which is based on his
childhood memories of rural background. He has presented
rural life with urban decency in the picture, which has a
hyper-realistic psychological aura along with poetry and imagination. In this illustration, rural songs
have been depicted with farmer men and women, which presents the realistic elements in the reality of
rural life with high decorativeness, but at the same time an inclination towards stylistic softness can also
be seen. In which the figures appear like puppets. The print has a colorful Painting based on drawing
which is artistically realistic but simple and also a gentle expressionistic distortion. Other major artworks
of Lakshma God are Woman, Man, Landscape of Turkey, Untitled, Xi'an, China etc.

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 CHAPTER-8
“EVOLUTION OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL FLAG”
(Three Phases of Evolution of the Flag- First 1906, Middle 1921 and Final 1947 Stage)
Name of the flag : ‘The Indian National Flag known as Tricolour’
Size of the flag : in the ratio of 3:2, length is 3 metres and width will be 2 metres.
Colour Combination : Three equally proportioned stripes- saffron on top, white in middle and
green in the lower part. Ashok Chakra in dark blue colour is in the middle of white stripe.

DESCRIPTION/ COMPOSITION:
• India ’s National Flag, ‘ Tricolour’ (Tiranga) is the glory of Indian people and the symbolof their
international identity.
• The ratio of the length and width of the National Flag is 3:2.
• Three equally proportioned stripes of saffron on top, white in middle and green in the lower part
with the Ashok Chakra (means Wheel of Law) in dark blue colour in the middle of whitestripe makes
the Indian National Flag.
• Dhamma Chakra or Ashok Chakra taken from the vertex of ‘Sarnath Pillar’ of Ashoka contains 24
spokes.
• Symbolic meanings of colours: Saffron as the symbol of courage and sacrifice; white symbolizes
truth/honesty and peaceand green is the symbol of prosperity and happiness. And blue colour of
the Ashok Chakraindicates the truth of the universe and represents the color of sky and ocean.
• 24 spokes represent 24 hours of a day, depicts the way of truth, moving ahead on the pathof progress,
to carry the country on its apex.
• According to the Hindu religion, all the 24 spokes of the national Flag represents the Life means ‘
The Dharma ’ which are as follows: Love, Courage, Patience, Peacefulness, Magnanimity,Goodness,
Faithfulness, Gentleness, Selflessness, Self-Control, Self Sacrifice, Truthfulness,Righteousness, Justice,
Mercy, Gracefulness, Humility, Empathy, Sympathy, SpiritualKnowledge, Moral Values, Spiritual
Wisdom, The Fear of God and Faith (Belief or Hope).
• Indian Flag is made using Khadi (hand-spun cloth popularized by the Mahatma Gandhi).
• The shape was approved by the Indian Constitution Committee as the Indian National Flagon the 22
nd July 1947A.D.
• On the 15 th August 1947 when India became independent as a National Flag, it was hoistedfrom
the rampart of the Red Fort in Delhi and since then it has been a tradition of hoistingit on various national
occasions and on government buildings. Indian citizens haveconstitutional rights to hoist it, but with
few conditions and guidelines.

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 Evolution of National Flag
First
The first flag in India is said to have been hoisted on 7 th
August’ 1906, in the Green Park (alsocalled as Parsee
Bagan Square) in the Calcutta (current Kolkata). The flag
was composed of threehorizontal stripes of red, yellow and
green. The uppermost green colour strip had eight whitelot
uses. “Vande Matram” in Hindi written in dark blue is at
the center of the yellow strip. And thelowermost red colour
strip had a white Sun on the left and a white crescent moon
with the star on the right.

Second

The second flag was prepared by a zealous young boy

named Pingali Vankaiya of AndharaPradesh, during the
session of the Indian National Congress in Bazawada
(now Vijayawada) in1921 A.D. It was made of two
horizontal red and green stripes and in the middle was
markedGandhi Charkha (spinning wheel) representing
the symbol of revolutionaries. The green
striperepresented the Muslim community and red the
Hindus. The flag however, was not accepted by All India
Congress Committee yet it remained in use as
the National Flag of India.
Having seen the flag, Gandhiji expressed happiness and advised him to mark a white stripe in
theflag to represent the rest of the communities in India and charkha in blue colour as the symbol
of progress. Finally, in 1931 a resolution was passed by the Indian Constitution Committee toformally
adopt the new tri-colour flag (as suggested by Gandhiji) as our National Flag.
Final

On 27 th July 1947 with the attainment of Independence, the

Constituent assembly adopted the present flag as
India’s National Flag. The colours and there significance
remains the same. TheDharma Chakra of Ashoka was
adopted instead of the Charkha.

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