Unit 3, Part - 2

Painting, Music & Dance forms

◦ An overview of painting, music & dance forms
✓Ajanta, Mughal, Rajasthani, Madhubani, Tanjore, Ravi Varma and
other styles of painting;
✓Classical, Semi classical & folk music and
✓Dance forms from different parts of India
 PAINTINGS
Pre-Historic Paintings
◦ Around 10000 years old.
◦ Generally executed on rocks
◦ The rock engravings are called Petroglyphs.
◦ The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of pre-historic
times, like Bhimbetka, Ajanta caves, etc.

◦ Significance of these paintings: These ancient paintings help us better

understand early humans, their way of life, their eating habits, their daily
activities, and, most importantly, how they thought.
 Ajanta Paintings
• One of the oldest surviving murals of India.
• With the exception of the decorative patterns on the ceilings
and pillars,
• The subjects of these paintings are almost entirely Buddhist.
• They are mostly connected to the Jataka, a collection of tales that
describes the Lord Buddha’s earlier lives.
• Used both Fresco style (painting on freshly
laid wet lime plaster) and tempera style
(permanent fast drying painting medium)
technique.
Mughal Paintings
◦ Amalgamation of Persian, Indian, and European influence
➢Persian: Narrative paintings, as book illustrations with2-D
flatness, with rich decorated borders.
➢Indian: Portraits and 3-D effect with peacock blue and red.
Portraits were made for the first time during Akbar’s reign.
➢European: Light and shadow, haloes and roaring clouds.

◦ Executed on paper or densely woven cotton. Placed between wooden

covers.
 Mughal Paintings

◦ Wall paintings developed under Akbar’s reign

◦ Used vibrant colours like blue and gold
◦ Calligraphy on paintings was also encouraged under Akbar
◦ Under Jahangir, from illustrated manuscripts, the emphasis
shifted towards individual portraits based on flora and fauna.
◦ Subjects of secular court paintings include portraits of kings,
court scenes, hunting battle scenes and scenes of natural
beauty.
 Rajasthani School
◦ Rajput or Rajasthani miniature is a style of miniature created by
Indian artists
◦ Deeply influenced by Mughal style of paintings
Features:
• The themes were mostly religious
• Marked by bold drawings and strong and contrasting colours.
• Figures are rendered flatly, with no attempt to depict perspective in a
naturalistic manner.
• In addition to illustrating Ramayana stories, kings’ and queens’
royal lifestyles were also shown.
• Paper, ivory, and silk were used as their canvas in this school of
painting.
Rajasthani School of Art (18th Century)
◦ Executed on walls of havelis and forts, along with illustrated
manuscripts.
◦ Initially based on mural and fresco forms, later on miniature style
◦ Used contrasting colours on fresco base, for the bold outlines
◦ Subjects include folk figures, Ramayana, Mahabharata stories,
portraits of kings in Mughal style costumes.
◦ Regional variations : Mewar, Marwar, Amber-Jaipur
◦ Bani Thani, Krishna Bhakti, Tamasha paintings, tribal artforms
Madhubani/ Mithila Painting
◦ Executed on walls, canvas and cloth
◦ Uses powdered rice paste, cow dung and colors from natural
pigments
◦ Subjects include scenes from the Ramayana or Krishna among
other mythological scenes
◦ GI status
Madhubani Paintings or Mithila paintings
▪ It derives its name from Mithila, the ancient Videha &
birthplace of Sita.
▪ These paintings stand out for their vivid colours.
▪ In the recent past, numerous paintings have been produced for sale on fabric, paper,
pots, etc.
▪ They decorate the entire area with natural objects from the world around them, such
as birds, flowers, animals, fish, snakes, the sun, and the moon.
▪ These objects frequently have symbolic meanings, such as those for love, passion,
fertility, eternity, well-being, and prosperity.
▪ Women use bamboo twigs to paint that have been attached to cotton swabs, rice
straws, or fibre. In the past, they produced colours using natural materials like phalsa
and Kusum flowers, bilwa leaves, kajal, turmeric, etc.
 Tanjore Painting

▪ In South India during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a painting style
characterized by bold drawing, shading strategies, and the use of pure and
brilliant colours flourished at Tanjore.
▪ Indian Thanjavur paintings stand out from other types of paintings due to their
dense composition, rich surface, and vibrant colours.
▪ Embellished with pearls, glass, and semi-precious stone accents.
▪ Appear to be 3-D due to the relief work. India’s Tanjore Painting originated back
in the sixteenth century.
▪ From the 16th to the 18th centuries, Maratha princes, Nayakas, Rajus
communities of Tanjore and Trichi, and Naidus of Madurai were also patrons of
Indian Thanjavur Paintings.
 Tanjore or Thanjavur
▪ The majority of these paintings are based on saints and Hindu Gods and
Goddesses.
▪ The central figure of the painting is always the main subject. Tanjore
paintings are known as “Palagai Padam” in the area because they are
typically created on solid wood planks (palagai meaning wooden plank
and Padam meaning picture).
▪ Executed on wooden panels, later executed on glass
▪ Uses rich vibrant colours with figures encrusted with
▪ semi-precious stones overlaid with gold foils
▪ Subjects include religious figures
▪ Received GI status
Ravi Varma and other styles of
painting
▪ Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter and artist, considered as one of
the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. Varma is known for his
amazing paintings, which revolve mainly around the Puranas and the
great Indian epics - Mahabharata and Ramayana.
▪ Varma was the first Indian artist to use western techniques and styles to
depict uniquely Indian themes
▪ Raja Ravi Verma uniquely managed to accomplish a beautiful union of
Indian sensibilities and iconography with the techniques of European
academic art.
▪ He used a fusion of Indian traditions and the techniques of European
academic art.
 Other styles of painting prominent in
India are:
✓Mysore art
✓Warli art
✓Phad art
✓Patua art
✓Kalamkari art
✓And many others
Classification of Indian Music
 Fusion Music
a. Bhajan
◦ Became popular in 15th-16th Ceturies during the Bhakti Movement
◦ Lyrics in praise of God and stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata with
simple melodies
◦ Kirtan & Abhanga
b. Shabad
◦ Originated in the 16th century in Gurudwaras
◦ Devotional songs, set Guru Nanak’s teachings to musical form
c. Qawwali
◦ Originated from Qual, a form of music; Amir Khusrau popularised it
◦ Simple music in praise of Allah, and other saints.
Dance forms
◦ Some of the dance forms are:
✓Kathak
✓Sattriya
✓Manipuri
✓Odissi
✓Kuchipudi
✓Bharatnatyam
✓Kathakali and many more…
✓Each state of India has its own unique dance form,
✓Folk Dances of India
✓Bhangra, Bihu, Garbha, Ghoomar, Lavani, etc.