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Rajasthani paintings have contributed a
lot to the development of Indian art. Rajasthan, being a rich heroic
land of the brave hearted and the romantics, art played an important
role in building the tradition and culture of this land over several
years.
It was in the 16th century that artists of Rajputana (now Rajasthan)
started to paint their expressions and events that they witnessed every
day. Rajasthani paintings depicted the lifestyle of the people in that
century. Rajasthani miniature paintings have continued to inspire so
many artists across the world.
Since the Rajputanas maintained a close connection to the Mughal court,
one can see a strong Mughal influence on these paintings. These
paintings were also influenced by the surroundings and often one can see
religious festivals, wedding processions, hunting expeditions and other
scenes painted beautifully onto the canvas. The brushes used for
Rajasthani painting were often prepared by the artists themselves as
they had to be very fine. The colors used for Rajasthani art too were
made from minerals and vegetables, precious stones as even pure silver
and gold. Rajasthani paintings involved a lot of detailing and hence it
would sometimes take months for an artist to complete one piece of art.
Rajasthani paintings also include a distinct style of painting known as
the Phad paintings. This style of painting is done on Indian hand woven
material such as khaki. Phad paintings depict the stories of heroic
leaders like Prithaviraj Chauhan, Amar Singh Rathor, Tejaji, Goga
Chauhan and others. Apart from this, Phad paintings also depict the
daily life of farmers, rural life, animals and birds. These paintings
are known for their magnanimity and its outlines are usually done in
black and bold colors, drawn in block and later filled with other
colors.
There are many different styles of Rajasthani paintings such as the Art
of Mewar, the Jaipur Gharana of miniatures, the Bundi School of art,
Bikaneri art and the Kishangarh art. All these together form Rajasthani
art that is known for its strong vibrant colors, heroic and romantic
portrayal of events and decorative motifs and colorful designs.
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