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The aesthetics of miniature paintings of Rajasthan has contributed richly to the content of Indian paintings. The portrayal of women has been a favourite theme of these miniatures. More intriguing and exciting is the portrayal of various costumes of these women, reflecting the female beauty of the spiritual world. While the clothes have not been painted prominently to avoid distractions from the original expressions and subject matter, they still represent their times, fashions, and cross-cultural influences, along with a spectrum of colours which is so typical of miniature paintings of Rajasthan. The costumes keep in place with the rhythmic colour scheme. Historically speaking, the miniatures also record a continuous journey of influences; these miniatures also record the continuous journey of influences these miniatures have absorbed. The journey of these miniatures has been long enough; the eighteenth and nineteenth-century miniatures represent a constant interplay between Mughal sobriety and refinement while keeping alive the Rajput verve and expression. The political affiliation of the Rajput rulers with the central powers, along with more deep-rooted participation in the life and culture of their people, led to an amalgamation of two styles into a more sophisticated and revolutionary art form.

“Indian Painting”

Indian Painting by C. Sivaramamurti, published by National Book Trust, India, deals with the history of Indian painting from the earliest times to the present day. Padma Bhushan C. Sivaramamurti, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, was a sculptor, artist and scholar with a brilliant academic career.  Though the subject is too vast, it is conveniently compressed into a few pages. The author has narrated as comprehensively as possible the continuous story of Indian painting through the ages. Interestingly it narrates the salient features of the various schools and the continuous story of painting in India. The book contains illustrations and photographs, making it more interactive and easier to relate to the texts. The book contains separate chapters on Art Galleries, Tools and Materials, Canons of Art Criticism etc., followed by History of Indian Art. These chapters guide the reader on the best path to understanding Indian art. 

“Fragrance in Colour”

Fragrance in Colour is written by the trio of Dr. Daljeet, Dr. V.K. Mathur and Rajeshwari Shah. It is published by the National Museum, Janpath, New Delhi. The book deals with selected Indian miniature paintings from the collection of the National Museum, starting from the Mughal Miniature paintings to Pahari Miniature paintings. Deccani Miniatures, Central Indian Miniatures, and Rajasthani Miniatures are a few of its other chapters. The book touches on several aspects of miniature paintings, their making, conservation and display. The book gives a brief introduction of each school of Indian miniature paintings in addition to an explanation of selected paintings from the National Museum collection. 

“Indian Folk and Tribal Paintings”

The book, Indian Folk and Tribal Paintings is written by Dr. Charu Smita Gupta and published by Roli Books. She is the Deputy Director (Museum Collection) at the National Handicrafts and Handloom Museum, New Delhi. The book deals with the folk and tribal art of India that passes from one generation to the next. Traditionally, these art forms, although sometimes purely decorative, were used to mark different occasions, such as celebrations, pacifying malevolent deities or forces of nature, thanksgiving, harvests, the birth of the child, puberty, marriage and cultural festivals. The way the book is written and compiled shows the efficiency of the writer to deal with such a vast topic in a very concise and crisp manner. The book deals with the style, techniques, and legacy of different folk and tribal paintings of India. It says that over time, the visual vocabulary of folk and tribal painting expanded beyond traditional contexts and today has evolved into a new genre of ethnic art. Several traditional styles of painting, which till recently languished, are now flourishing in improved and altered mediums, surfaces and contexts. It also deals with the overall social change, revived the tribal and folk art forms and gave a large number of these artists a stable means of livelihood. This book is an introduction to these unique and vibrant art forms of India, its evolution, contextual development, continuity, brief obscurity and the recent marvellous resurgence. 

“History of Indian Art”

As the name derives, History of Indian Art by Kajal Kanjilal is a bilingual book that deals with the brief history of Indian art. Sarawati Publications publish the book. The book gives a glimpse of the Rajsthani, Pahari, Mughal and Deccan Schools of Miniature Paintings, followed by The Bengal School of Painting and Modern Indian Art. It deals with the introduction of all, its style and techniques and famous artworks with its explanation. It also deals with the introductory part of Indian Art Aesthetics as well. The book is very useful to know about the artworks of Medieval and Modern India, its transition and developments. History of India Art is easy to understand and very interactive. It leads the readers to appreciate the artwork and teaches them to hope to write on it.

“A History of Fine Arts in India and the West”

A History of Fine Arts in India and the West is written and published by Dr. Edith Tomory and Orient Blackswan, respectively. Dr. E. Tomory deals with India’s most distinctive role in World Art- its development of rock-cut architecture and its immense wealth of stone carving, illustrated by many line drawings through this book. Her book also explains different art forms of India and the west, such as Painting, sculpture and architecture. The chronological explanation of the Art from each and every dynasty from India and the west make this book more interesting, easy to understand and readers’ friendly. The illustrations used in this book make it more interactive.  The real strength of Tomory’s book is that it surveys, analyses, and compares in tandem Indian and Western traditions and forms of Fine Arts.

Rajasthani Miniature Painting: Tradition and Continuity

Rajasthani Miniature Painting: Tradition and Continuity is edited by Prof. (Dr.) Anupa Pande and published by the National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology. The book contains 17 articles related to the Miniature Paintings of Rajasthan written by different veterans of this field. The papers published in it deal with the visual culture of Rajasthan, which evolved under the benefaction of its rulers and aristocrats. The royalty, nobility, festivals and rituals are some of the various themes that are depicted as vibrant representations of the painterly tradition of Rajasthan. This volume is the culmination of proceedings of an international seminar on the Rajasthani Miniature Painting. The book is a significant contribution of eminent art historians, museum professionals, academicians and young researchers on the selected style and representation of Rajasthani Paintings, museum collections in India and abroad, Rajasthani murals and manuscript painting tradition and Pata paintings. The variegated themes discussed in the book richly illustrate the artistic quality and historical significance of the visual and material culture of the Rajasthani painting tradition in India.  

“Mewari Gita- Govinda”

Published through the National Museum, New Delhi, an eminent Art Historian, Kapila Vatsyayan has described miniature paintings based on Mewari Gita-Govinda in a fantastic manner. The selective collections of the National Museum are dealt with and published in this book. The book contains different coloured as well as black-and-white images of the paintings. So, that the book is easy to understand and more interactive with its readers.

“Guide Book”

Guide Book is published by the National Museum, New Delhi. One of the most valuable publications of the National Museum is the elaboration of several spectacular collections of the museum spread across three levels. Each gallery has some of the best masterpieces of Indian art, and this Guidebook helps its readers explore their stories. In each section, there is a brief introduction to each gallery followed by narratives on the most representative objects from the collection that are on display and should not be missed. 

“Elements of Indian Art”

Written by S.P Gupta and Shashi Prabha Ashana, Elements of Indian Art: Including Temple Architecture, Iconography and Iconometry are published by Indraprastha Museum of Art and Archaeology, New Delhi. This book is a study of the fundamental principles of ancient Indian art and architecture, dealing with essentials of Hindu thinking and practice of art like the Hindu view of the Godhead, iconography and iconometry, and symbols and symbolism in Hindu Art. It undertakes a survey of Indian art and temple architecture from the 3rd Century BCE through the mediaeval period. It elaborately views the various terms and concepts associated with the field of art and iconography like mudras, asanas, pithas, explaining the nature of Buddhist and Jain deities as well as those of Hindu sects like Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism. Tracing the differences in the conception of Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque and a Christian church, the research focuses mainly on the principles of visualization of symbols and signs in Hinduism and Christianity. It also reveals how the West has viewed Indian literature and art, exposing the inner contradiction of some European thinkers who, while praising the literary works of Kalidasa and others, condemned the Hindu Images. The book contains more than 400 illustrations, half-tone and line drawings, that make the discussion easy to comprehend for a range of readers- scholars, students as well as Laymen. 

“Introduction of Indian Art”

Introduction of Indian Art by Anand K. Coomaraswamy Introduces Indian Art and traverses the historical panorama of Indian art, from its Indo-Sumerian and Vedic-Mound beginnings to the various peaks reached during the Maurya, Sunga, Andhra, Kusana and Gupta periods and beyond the seas to further India and Indonesia. It is a handbook of immense value both to the beginner and scholar alike. It is a brief and chronological story of Indian art. 

Female Costume Tradition

Ever since the miniature paintings in Rajasthan were freed from the manuscripts, they have attained an independent identity. They diverted from horizontal oblongs to vertical oblongs. Soon they acquired a genre by which they continue to remain identified till today. A further passage of time distinguished it in different schools. These schools acquired Mughal influence in varying dimensions. The secular mood of Mughal themes like portraiture, court scenes or scenes from everyday life were well combined with the religious fervour with which Rajasthan was affected. Gradually, a change occurred in the female figures' costumes and the colour scheme of their costumes.

The variety of changes that occurred in the print, texture etc., between the seventeenth and nineteenth century was aptly portrayed in these miniatures. The clothes in vogue like Jamdani, Kimbhada, Tusser, Chitz, Muslin, Parch, Mashru, Chick, Illayachi, Bahadurshahi, Chintz, Farukhshani Chintz were painted in these miniatures.

Ordinarily, the tradition of Rajasthan includes costumes like Ghaghra, Patka-choli, and Dupatta are painted commonly in both transparent and opaque styles. The Odhanis are categorized as Peeia, Kangana, Pomcha, Lehariya etc., according to the colour of the dye and type of print.

Warm and thick shawls and chadaras are also painted sometimes. Cholis and Kanchuki were adorned with works of tarjeb, embroidery, gota, magaji and so on. Topi and pagadi along with sarpech were often painted, although they are absent from Kota, Nathdwara and Udaipur schools completely.

The clothes for the waist included Ghaghras (horizontally striped, dotted, crisscross, floral and square design), Lehangas (bell-shaped on the lower side with attractive lower border), Patkas (tied as ruffles), Suthna (straight striped and narrowly stitched), Pajamas (worn below Peshwas, Ghaghra and embroidered), Dhoti (costume worn during leisure). Peshwas was a Mughal innovation that covered the entire body. It was worn with tight pyjamas, thin transparent Ghaghra, Choli and Odhani.

Though common with all the categories of women, these costumes are displayed with variation according to their status. The texture and richness of clothes, along with colour schemes, changed accordingly.

Rajasthani Miniature painters infused like into panted costumes through colours. Red, yellow, blue, green, black and brown has dominated the scheme of colours. Different schools have effectively used similar colour schemes, contrast colour schemes and multi-coloured schemes to bring about playfulness, frivolity and magical attraction. The Mewar school, among all, held proximity with the folk art in this matter. Luminous yet limited colours like red, yellow, and black were subsequently replaced later by a variety of colours. Marwar used simple yet effective colour contrasts, which represent the unsophisticated delight in life around. Harsh colours like vermilion, yellow, green, pink, and blue dominated. They display a strong sense of movement. Jaipur used more contrasting colours and geometric composition so typical of Rajput tradition. Bundi style freed itself of the Mewar influence and worked out a colour scheme typical to the region. Its female figures are prominently painted in Chaste white in the less loud colouring of garments accenting the overall impression of lustrous softness. Kota, with its linear exuberance, displays a rich array of green, with verdigris being common.

All these styles seem to absorb the Mughal influence to a great extent. For example, the Mughal artists used a specific colour scheme to create an effect of transparency in dresses which was later adopted by the Rajasthani artists who were more accentuated to display transparent Odhani through lines than colours. However, it should be remembered that each aesthetic expression is unique. It is a technique that should be given proper attention and should form a fundamental criterion to judge a painting critically. The presence of a Mughal attire like Peswas or Chakdarjama or Kulahdar turban should not be taken as a genre on its face value. The Mughal may have influenced the Rajasthani miniature in its documentary form, i.e., representation of themes and subject matter. But as far as objective (technique) and expressive (aesthetic) are concerned, Rajasthani miniatures stand apart as individual identities separated from all other genres. They are sensitive to aesthetic configuration through their vigorous simplicity.

A presentation of some slides of a miniature of different schools of Rajasthan will trace the history of this beautiful art form.

 

Images:
Plate 1: Champawati and Sakhi from Mewar of 1570 C.E. and 1600 C.E.
Plate 2: Hindola Raga, 1623 C.E.
Plate3: Devi Durga, 1650 C.E. Udaipur
Plate 4: Desavrari Ragini, 1680 C.E. Sirohi
Plate 5: Nayika Enjoying Fire Crackers, 1760 C.E., Jaipur
Plate 6: Sadhavi, 1750 C.E., Kishangarh
Plate 7: Nayika with Musical Instrument, 1750 C.E., Ajmer
Plate 8: Girls Standing Outside, 1800 C.E., Jaipur
Plate 9: Lady of Noble Family, 1875 C.E., Jaipur
Plate 10: Dancer and Instrumentalists, 1880 C.E

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