Indian Painting – A great way to learn History

Painting is the beautiful process of using lines and colors to convey human thoughts and emotions. Indian painting is a mesmerizing artistic tradition that portrays India’s diverse culture and history through intricate designs, detailed brushwork, and vibrant colors. It has a long history that started with cave art. Then gradually Indian painting evolved through ceramics, cloths, miniatures, and modern styles. This timeless form of expression has adorned the walls of palaces, temples, and homes for centuries. From the intricate details of Mughal miniatures to the vibrant colors of Rajasthani folk art, Indian painting encompasses a captivating range of styles, techniques, and themes. This blog will help us to learn more about the concepts related to Indian painting.

• History And Evolution of Indian Painting:
• Shadanga of Indian Painting:
• Classifications of Indian Painting:
• Pre-Historic Painting:
• Mural Paintings in India:
  • Some of those noteworthy examples are seen on the walls of
• Miniature Paintings in India:
  • The earliest known examples of Indian miniature paintings are
  • Examples of Indian miniature paintings from different regions of the country
• Folk Painting in India:
  • Examples of Indian folk paintings are
• Written Evidence of Indian Painting:
• Some Notable Indian Paintings:

History And Evolution of Indian Painting:

Indian painting has a rich history, with ancient rock paintings and mentions of decorated buildings in Hindu and Buddhist literature. The earliest Indian paintings emerged as rock art during prehistoric times. Those rock arts, including petroglyphs in places like Bhimbetka rock shelters, offer insights into the artistic style of the Stone Age. However, due to climate conditions, very few early works have survived.

Among those, the paintings in the Ajanta Caves are the most notable ones. A new style was introduced during the Mughal era, blending the Persian miniature and older Indian traditions. Aurangzeb opposed painting for religious reasons and disbanded the imperial workshop around 1670. Then Artists spread to smaller courts leading to the development of the Post-Mughal style in various local versions. Later, British colonial rule led to ‘Company paintings’ for British clients and the establishment of Western-style art schools. This played a pivotal role in shaping modern Indian painting that still embraces its Indian roots.

Shadanga of Indian Painting:

Shadanga, a Sanskrit term, refers to the ‘six limbs’ or ‘six components’. Thus, the concept of ‘Shadanga of Indian painting’ outlines the six essential aspects of a complete painting. These six limbs are mentioned in Vatsyayana’s 3^rd-century book ‘ Kamasutra’. These are-

Rupabheda: The knowledge of appearances.

Pramanam: Right measurement, perception, and structure.

Bhava: Portraying feeling on canvas.

Lavanya yojanam :  The grace and artistic representation.

Sadrisyam: Similarities between the real and the creation.

Varnikabhanga: Use of brush and colors in a proper artistic manner. (by Tagore).

Classifications of Indian Painting:

Indian paintings can be categorized as Murals, Miniature, and cloth paintings. Murals adorn the walls of solid structures, like the Ajanta Caves and the Kailashnath temple. On the other hand, Miniature paintings are very small-scale works on delicate materials, like cloth and paper. And Cloth paintings are used for folk art and souvenirs.

Pre-Historic Painting:

Prehistory refers to events before written records in a culture. Pre-historical painting is the earliest form of Indian painting. These paintings were typically created on rocks and the engravings were called Petroglyphs. Animals like bears, tigers, and bison were generally shown in these artworks. Pre-historic paintings can be divided into three major phases –

1. Upper Palaeolithic Period,

2. Mesolithic Period

3. Chalcolithic Period.

The pre-historic painting was first discovered by an archaeologist, Archibold Carlleyle, in 1867-1868. These paintings are found on the walls of caves located in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and many more. Among these, Bhimbetka Cave Paintings, located in Madhya Pradesh, are the oldest ones. It was later discovered by V.S. Wakankar.

Mural Paintings in India: 

The Indian Mural painting originated in ancient and early medieval times between the 2^nd century BC and the 8^th – 9^th century AD. These paintings are made on the walls of caves and palaces. The Mural paintings primarily portray religious themes from the traditions of Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism. These paintings create a sense of three-dimensionality through techniques like shading and perspective. Vishnudharamottaram, a Sanskrit text of the 5^th or 6^th century CE, gives a detailed exploration of the technique and process of making wall paintings.

Mural paintings of the mentioned period have been discovered in more than 20 locations across India. These are mostly seen on the walls of natural caves and rock-cut chambers.

Some of those noteworthy examples are seen on the walls of

• • Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra.

• • Kailasanatha Temple in Ellora Caves, Maharashtra.

• • Bagh Caves in Madhya Pradesh.

• • Sittanavasal Cave in Tamil Nadu.

• • Armamalai Cave in Tamil Nadu.

Apart from these, Chhattisgarh’s Jogimara and Sitabenga Caves are also among the notable works. These are the oldest known painted caves and theaters of the time, between the 3^rd and 1^st centuries BCE.

Miniature Paintings in India:

Miniature paintings are beautiful handmade artworks on materials like paper or pieces of cloth. The Indian miniature paintings are renowned for their intricate and delicate brushwork, which lends them a unique and captivating identity. These paintings are created with hand-mixed colors. The main sources of the colors are pure gold, silver, plants, valuable stones, indigo, and even conch shells. These vibrant sources make each painting a dazzling masterpiece.

The earliest known examples of Indian miniature paintings are

1. About 10^th-century Buddhist palm leaf manuscripts from eastern India, and

2. About 13^th-century Jain palm leaf manuscripts from western India.

After that, during the Mughal Era, Miniature paintings reached their zenith. In this period Indian painting was blended with the Persian and Islamic styles of Painting. Like emperor Humayun, his son Akbar was also very fond of art. The reign of Akbar brought about a new and transformative era in Indian miniature painting. However, due to a lack of royal support, the artists migrated to the Deccan and the Hindu courts of Rajputana during Aurangzeb’s reign. This migration significantly impacted and shaped the artistic styles in these regions.

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Examples of Indian miniature paintings from different regions of the country

• • Early miniature Paintings. (Eastern and Western India).

• • Mughal Painting.

• • Deccan Painting.

• • Rajput Painting.

• • Mysore Painting.

• • Tanjore Painting.

Folk Painting in India:

Folk painting in India is a colorful journey through various traditions and stories. This painting captures the beauty of a culture. Different regions have their unique styles of painting. This type of painting ranges from old cave paintings like Bhimbetka to Madhubani. Folk paintings often portray tales from epics such as the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata, as well as daily village life, nature, animals, etc.

Examples of Indian folk paintings are

• • Madhubani Painting and Manjusha Painting of Bihar.

• • Pattachitra of Odisha and West Bengal.

• • Kalamkari Painting of Andhra Pradesh.

• • Warli Painting of Gujrat-Maharashtra.

• • Kalighat Painting of West Bengal.

• • Paitkar Painting of Jharkhand.

• • Phad Painting of Rajasthan.

Written Evidence of Indian Painting:

There are a large number of texts on Indian painting. However, some of these are entirely dedicated to Indian paintings and some are chapters within a larger encyclopedia. Some of these are- Chitrasutras (within Vishnudharmottara Purana), Samarangana Sutrashara, Aparajitaprccha, Manasollasa, Chitra Kaladruma, Abhilashitartha chinatamani.

Some Notable Indian Paintings:

• • Abanindranath Tagore’s  ‘Bharat Mata’.

• • Raja Ravi Varma’s  ‘Shakuntala’.

• • Rakesh Vijay’s  ‘Persian and Mogul styles’.

• • Hemen Majumdar’s ‘Lady with the Lamp’.

• • Rabindranath Tagore’s Self Portrait.

Apart from these, there is an immense number of examples of Indian paintings from ancient to modern times.

In the colorful mix of Indian culture, the painting acts like a lively thread that ties together the history, traditions, and creativity of the country. It encompasses an array of forms: Mural paintings on the cave’s wall, the delicate beauty of Miniature masterpieces, and the simplicity of Folk paintings. This diversity reflects the essence of our India.