At a glance
- Painters by style: Sahibdin, Manohar and Nisardin · Mewar; Amardas Bhati, Dana Bhati and Shivdas · Jodhpur; Ali Raza and Hamid Ruknuddin · Bikaner; Nihalchand · Kishangarh; Sahibram · Jaipur; Ahmad Ali · Bundi; Raghunath · Kota.
- Golden ages: Mewar under Jagat Singh I · Marwar under Man Singh · Bikaner under Anup Singh · Kishangarh under Savant Singh · Jaipur under Sawai Pratap Singh · Alwar under Vinay Singh · Bundi under Chhatrasal · Kota under Ummed Singh.
- Name: Ananda Coomaraswamy's Rajput Paintings (1916) made the first scientific classification and called it Rajput painting; Rai Krishnadas rejected that and gave the name Rajasthani painting.
The four schools and Kishangarh
- MewarEarly and original formSub-stylesChawand, Udaipur, Nathdwara, Devgarh, Sawar, Shahpura; thikana art of Banera, Bagor, Begun, KelwaLookMen with thick moustaches and large eyes, fish-shaped eyes for women; red, yellow, green, blue, whiteFull notes →
- MarwarJodhpur and Bikaner courtsSub-stylesJodhpur, Bikaner, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Nagaur, Sirohi, Jaisalmer; thikanas Ghanerao, Riyan, Bhinay, JuniyaLookAlmond-shaped eyes, tall turbans, much red and yellow, the khanjan birdFull notes →
- KishangarhBani Thani's styleLookLong faces, lotus-petal eyes, lake scenes with swans and boatsFull notes →
- DhundharJaipur's SuratkhanaSub-stylesAmer, Jaipur, Shekhawati, Alwar; Uniara sub-style; thikanas Jhilai, Isarda, Shahpura, SamodLookMughal and Rajput blend, life-size portraits, wall paintingsFull notes →
- HadotiLand of the HadasSub-stylesBundi, Kota, JhalawarLookBundi: birds, storm clouds, green trees · Kota: hunting scenes
Beginnings
- Rock shelters at Alaniya and Darra (Kota), Bairath (then Jaipur district, now Kotputli-Behror) and Dar (Bharatpur area) hold the earliest painting; in 1953 V. S. Wakankar found painted shelters in the Chambal valley and at Darra.
- Illustrated books: Ogh Niryukti Vritti and Dash Vaikalika Sutra Churni, 1060 CE, found in the Jaisalmer bhandar, are the oldest available in Rajasthan.
- Pure Rajasthani painting took shape about 1500 CE, with Mewar (Medpat) as its birthplace; Jain, Gujarat and Apabhramsha styles came first and Mughal influence later.
- Subjects: Krishna's lila, Ragamala, Baramasa, Nayika-bhed, hunting, durbar scenes and portraits, on paper, cloth and the walls of palaces, havelis and temples.
Key dated works
| Year | Work | School and painter |
|---|---|---|
| 1260 | Shravak Pratikraman Sutra Churni | Mewar, in Tej Singh's reign |
| 1423 | Supasanaha Chariyam | Mewar, written at Delwara |
| 1540 | Parijat Avataran (Bhagavata Purana) | Mewar, Nanaram, in Udai Singh's time |
| 1591 | Chunar Ragamala | Bundi's earliest known paintings; made at Chunar, near Varanasi, by three pupils of Akbar's painter Mir Sayyid Ali |
| 1591 | Yashodhara Charitra | Amer, Dhundhar |
| 1592 | Dholamaru | Mewar, Chawand, in Maharana Pratap's time; kept in the National Museum, New Delhi |
| 1605 | Ragamala (Chawand Ragamala) | Mewar, Amar Singh I's time; painter Nisardin (also written Nasiruddin) |
| 1610 | Bhagavata | Marwar, with features of both Mewar and Marwar |
| 1623 | Ragamala Chitravali | Marwar, painter Virji, for Vitthaldas Champawat of Pali |
| 1628 | Ragamala | Mewar, Sahibdin, under Jagat Singh I |
| 1639 | Rasikapriya, Krishna Rukmini ri Veli | Amer, for Mirza Raja Jai Singh's queen Chandravati |
| 1648 | Bhagavata Purana | Mewar, Sahibdin |
| 1698 | Portrait of Raja Pabuji | Ajmer style, Chand of Juniya |
| 1725 | Maharaja Abhai Singh watching a dance | Marwar, Dalchand |
| 1750 | Ummed Singh hunting a wild boar | Bundi |
| 1857 | Maharaja School of Arts and Crafts founded | Jaipur, Sawai Ram Singh; now the Rajasthan School of Art |
What marks Rajasthani painting
- Close to folk life: devotion and shringar shown vividly, bright and glossy colours, a setting that suits the place and the time.
- Seen most on the walls of palaces, forts, temples and havelis.
- Painters drew the seasons and their effect on human life.
- Nature is shown together with a lively picture of women's beauty.
- It grew under the patronage of kings, princes and feudal lords.
Hadoti: Bundi and Kota
The region is named after the Hada Chauhans, who held Bundi, Kota and Jhalawar.
| Point | Bundi | Kota |
|---|---|---|
| Influence | Mewar first, Mughal from Rao Surjan's time; Deccan style came after Bhav Singh and his son Aniruddh Singh fought in the Deccan | Own identity set by Maharao Ram Singh; Bhim Singh made Krishna bhakti and the Vallabh sect central |
| Peak | Rao Chhatrasal (Shatrushal) built the Rangmahal, famed for murals; the Chitrashala was built under Rao Ummed Singh | Under Ummed Singh; the Musavvirkhana artists painted large wall pictures and group hunting scenes on big vasli sheets |
| Look | Tall slim figures; red lips, round face and chin set back; storm clouds, lightning, water, green trees, peacocks, monkeys; birds are central | Women with full lips, long nose and slim waist; men broad-shouldered and muscular, with full beard and moustache, sword and katar; hunts in dense jungle, women and queens shown hunting |
| Colours | Pinkish white, red (hingul), green | Light green, yellow, blue |
| Painters | Surjan, Ahmad Ali, Ramlal, Shri Kishan, Sadhuram | Raghunath, Govindram, Dalu, Lachhiram, Nur Muhammad |
| Themes | Ragini, nayika-bhed, seasons, Baramasa, Krishna lila, durbar, hunting, elephant fights, festivals | Hunting above all, with processions and Krishna lila |
Jhalawar: its style is still to be fixed; the palace murals show Shrinathji, Radha-Krishna lila, Ramlila and royal splendour.
Folk and wall painting
| Art | Where and who | Medium | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phad | Shahpura (Bhilwara); Joshi painters of the Chhipa caste; Shrilal Joshi (Padma Shri, 2006) | Cloth scroll | Life and miracles of folk deities, the chief figure painted largest |
| Pichhwai | Nathdwara | Large cloth hung behind Shrinathji | Krishna's lila, cows, banana trees; a Pushtimarg tradition |
| Pane | All Rajasthan, at festivals | Paper | Pictures of deities put up in place of wall paintings; Shrinathji's pana is the most artistic, with 24 shringars |
| Mandana | Rural homes | Wall and floor drawing in white chalk (khadiya) and red ochre (geru) | Doorstep, threshold, courtyard, chabutara, the place for the water pot; Ganesh, and Lakshmi's footprints, at weddings; Pushkar Pedi and Pathwari after a safe pilgrimage; triangles, squares, hexagons, octagons, circles |
| Sanjhi | Unmarried girls | Cow dung on a whitewashed wall, set with glass, pearls, shells, flowers | Made for fifteen days of Shraddh paksha before Dussehra, worshipped as Parvati for a good husband and home; the last five days' large figure is the Sanjhya Kot |
| Kavad | Bassi village (Chittorgarh); the Khairadi family, whose hereditary craft it is; Mangilal Mistri | Painted wooden shrine with many doors | Red outside with black mythological scenes; Ram, Lakshman and Sita appear when the last door opens |
| Shekhawati frescoes | Nawalgarh, Ramgarh, Fatehpur, Lakshmangarh, Mukundgarh, Mandawa, Bissau; Mahansar | Haveli walls | Havelis built by merchants; called an 'open art gallery'; Mahansar's Sone-Chandi ki Dukan (also called Sone ki Dukan), the Poddars' haveli, is known for gold in its murals |
How a Phad is made
- Cloth: two pieces of thick hand-spun cotton cloth (reji or reja) are coated with wheat or rice starch and gum, then rubbed smooth.
- Colours: five or seven, from geru, hirmich, jangal, haratal, pyodi, sindur, hingul, kajal, lime and indigo.
- Order: vermilion (sindur) on the body first, then green and red on clothes, brown on buildings; the outlines are black and come last.
- Colour code: goddesses blue, gods red, demons black, sadhus white or yellow; red and sindur show valour.
Remember: often mixed up
- ShahpuraPhad's town in Bhilwara · also named as a Mewar sub-style · and a Dhundhar thikana.
- Ummed SinghBundi's Rao Ummed Singh built the Chitrashala · Kota's peak came under Maharao Ummed Singh.
- Nathdwaraa Mewar sub-style, not Dhundhar.
- Wall techniquesAlagila, Araish and Morakasi are one wet lime-plaster method, begun at Amer · Manikuttim sticks pearls, lac and wooden beads, in Sawai Madho Singh I's time.
- Bani ThaniKishangarh, Nihalchand · not Sahibdin (Mewar), Ali Raza (Bikaner) or Shivdas (Marwar).
Test yourself: asked in exams
CET Graduation Level 2022 · Q11
‘Mahansar’ is famous for -
- (1)Golden work in painting
- (2)Abundance of Mughal paintings
- (3)The Haveli of 360 windows
- (4)Sati Mata Temple
Show answer
✓ (1) Golden work in painting
See the full paperCET Graduation Level 2022 · Q18
Which ruler of Mewar patronized the painter Sahibdin?
- (1)Maharana Raj Singh
- (2)Maharana Amar Singh
- (3)Maharana Jagat Singh I
- (4)Maharana Kumbha
Show answer
✓ (3) Maharana Jagat Singh I
See the full paperCET Graduation Level 2022 · Q23
Sridhar Andhare should be given credit for bringing to light the painting style -
- (1)Kishangarh
- (2)Devgarh
- (3)Shahpura
- (4)Uniara
Show answer
✓ (2) Devgarh
See the full paperCET Senior Secondary Level 2024 · Q49
Shri Lal Joshi, Phad artist, belongs to which place in Rajasthan?
- (1)Bhilwara
- (2)Jaipur
- (3)Sikar
- (4)Churu
Show answer
✓ (1) Bhilwara
See the full paperProtection Officer 2022 · Q134
Chandulal, Mukund, Munnalal were the painters of which painting style ?
- (1)Mewar style
- (2)Bikaner style
- (3)Jaipur style
- (4)Alwar style
Show answer
✓ (2) Bikaner style
See the full paperProtection Officer 2024 · Q16
Who illustrated the 'Bhagvat' in the Mewar Style in 1648 AD?
- (1)Mustafa
- (2)Hasan
- (3)Ali Raza
- (4)Sahabadi
Show answer
✓ (4) Sahabadi
See the full paperRAS Prelims 2023 · Q127
The renowned artist Muhammed Shah was a court artist (Painter) of which Maharaja of Jaipur ?
- (1)Sawai Ram Singh II
- (2)Sawai Jagat Singh
- (3)Sawai Pratap Singh
- (4)Sawai Jai Singh
Show answer
✓ (4) Sawai Jai Singh
See the full paperRAS Prelims 2024 · Q130
Match List – I with List – II regarding famous painting styles and their painters of Rajasthan and select the correct option : List – I — List – II A. Kishangarh — i. Sahibdeen B. Bikaner — ii. Nihalchand C. Mewar — iii. Ali Raza D. Marwar — iv. Shivdas Codes :
- (1)A-ii, B-iv, C-i, D-iii
- (2)A-ii, B-iii, C-i, D-iv
- (3)A-ii, B-iii, C-iv, D-i
- (4)A-ii, B-i, C-iii, D-iv
Show answer
✓ (2) A-ii, B-iii, C-i, D-iv
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