PRE-HISTORIC PAINTINGS

Pre-historic paintings were generally executed on rocks, and the engravings were known as Petroglyphs.

Key Phases of Pre-historic Paintings

1. Upper Palaeolithic Period (40,000–10,000 BC):

• Location: Bhimbetka caves, Madhya Pradesh.
• Colours: Mineral-based colours, such as ochre, applied on quartzite caves.
• Theme: Depicted everyday life of pre-historic humans — hunting, social activities (cooking, dancing), and war.
• Features: Large animals like elephants, bisons, and deer were shown in white, dark red, and green colours. Hunters were depicted in red, and dancers in green.

2. Mesolithic Period (10,000–4,000 BC):

• Location: Various sites with no specific ones mentioned.
• Colours: Predominantly red colour.
• Theme: Group hunting scenes, grazing, and social activities.
• Features: Paintings became smaller compared to the Upper Palaeolithic period, reflecting simpler and less detailed art.

3. Chalcolithic Period:

• Location:
  • Narsinghgarh (Madhya Pradesh)
  • Chhattisgarh (Jogimara Caves)
  • Chitwa Dongri
  • Odisha (Gudahandi, Yogimatha Rock Shelter)
• Colours: Primarily green and yellow.
• Theme: Battle scenes featuring men on horseback and elephants.
• Features: More complex depictions of war, showcasing advanced tools and techniques.

Mural Paintings

Murals refer to artwork created directly on walls or solid structures. These have been present in India from the 10th century BC to the 10th century AD.

Gupta Period Painting

1. Ajanta Caves (2nd BC – 5th AD)

• Dedicated to: Buddhism
• Famous Paintings:
  • Bodhisattvas like Avalokitesvara, Manjushri, and Vajrapani.
  • “Dying Princess” in Cave 16.
  • Jataka tales like Shibi Jataka (where Shibi offers his flesh to save a pigeon).
  • Matri-poshaka Jataka.
• Other Information:
  • Contains both murals and fresco paintings.
  • Use of tempera style, i.e., pigments.
  • Unique hairstyles for each female figure.
  • Portrayal of human values and social fabric.
  • Patronized by the Satavahana and Vakataka dynasties.

2. Bagh Caves

• Dedicated to: Buddhism
• Famous Paintings:
  • Jataka tales in Cave 4, known as Rang Mahal.
• Other Information:
  • Similar to Ajanta caves but earlier and more human-like with stronger outlines.
  • Tightly modeled figures and more secular in nature.

3. Ellora Caves (600–1000 CE)

• Dedicated to: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism
• Famous Paintings:
  • Kailasha Temple in Cave 16.
  • Images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu.
  • Beautiful depictions of apsaras (heavenly dancers).
• Other Information:
  • Created in two phases: first during the cave carving and later centuries for the paintings.
  • Comparatively newer than the Ajanta murals.

4. Elephanta Caves (6th AD)

• Dedicated to: Shaivism
• Famous Sculptures:
  • Trimurti/Maheshmurti (three-faced Shiva).
  • Gangadhara (Shiva bringing the Ganga to Earth).
  • Ardhanarishvara (half-Shiva, half-Parvati form).
  • Shiva killing a demon.
  • Kalyanasundara (wedding of Shiva and Parvati).
  • Nataraja (Shiva as Lord of Dance).
• Other Information: Continuation of the Gupta era, attributed to the Kalachuri Dynasty.

Chalukyan Paintings

1. Badami Caves (6th–7th AD)

• Dedicated to: Hinduism
• Famous Paintings:
  • Shiva in Tandava Dance.
  • Vishnu as Trivikrama.
  • Jain Sculptures of Parshvanatha and Bahubali.
• Other Information: These are attributed to the Chalukyan Dynasty and showcase impressive early Hindu and Jain art.

Vijayanagar Paintings

Lepakshi (16th AD)

• Dedicated to: Hinduism
• Famous Paintings: Depictions of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Vishnu Avatars.
• Other Information:
  • Executed on the walls of the Veerabhadra Temple in Lepakshi.
  • Notable for the absence of primary colors, especially blue.
  • Black outlines highlight the forms, figures, and costume details.
  • These paintings show a decline in quality compared to earlier works.

Pandya Paintings

Sittanavasal Cave (Arivar Koil) (1st BC – 10th AD)

• Dedicated to: Jainism
• Famous Paintings:
  • Samavasarana (hall where Tirthankara delivers sermons).
  • Pond with Lotuses.
• Other Information:
  • Found on ceilings and pillars, similar to the Bagh and Ajanta cave paintings.

Odisha Paintings

Ravan Chhaya (7th AD)

• Famous Painting: Depicts a royal procession.
• Other Information:
  • These are fresco paintings in the shape of a half-opened umbrella.

Other Important Paintings

Arnamalai, Tamil Nadu (8th AD)

• Dedicated to: Jainism
• Famous Paintings:
  • Depictions of Astathik Palakas (deities protecting 8 corners).

Jogimara Caves, Chhattisgarh (1000–300 BC)

• Famous Paintings:
  • Depictions of dancing couples and animals like elephants and fish.
• Other Information:
  • The paintings have a distinct red outline.
  • Few paintings, with inscriptions of a love story in Brahmi script.

Miniature Paintings in India

• Definition: Miniature paintings are small and detailed, painted in no more than one-sixth of their actual size.
• History: The Indian subcontinent has a long tradition of miniature paintings, with many regional styles.

Technique of Miniature Painting

1. Pre-conditions:

• Size: Paintings should not exceed 25 square inches.
• Subject: The subject should be painted in no more than one-sixth of the actual size.

1. Other Features:

• Human Figures: Typically depicted in side profiles, with bulging eyes, pointed noses, and slim waists.
• Colour: In Rajasthani miniatures, characters have brown skin, while in Mughal miniatures, they are depicted with fairer skin tones.

Early Miniatures

1. Base Materials: Miniature paintings were often created for books or albums on perishable materials like:

• Paper
• Palm leaves
• Cloth

2. Timeline: The art of miniature painting developed between the 8th and 12th century AD.
3. Schools:

Pala School of Art:

• Timeline: Flourished between 750 AD – 1150 AD.
• Base: Generally executed on palm leaf or vellum paper.
• Use: Mainly used by Buddhist monks. They followed a stipulation to use only banana or coconut tree leaves.
• Patronage: Promoted by rulers who supported Buddhism.
• Famous Painters: Dhiman and Vitapala.
• Features:
  • Single Figures: The paintings often depict lone figures, rarely showing groups.
  • Pattern: The style is characterized by sinuous lines and subdued tones in the background imagery.

Apabhramsa School of Art:

• Region: Originated in Gujarat and the Mewar region of Rajasthan.
• Timeline: Flourished between 11th – 15th AD.
• Theme:
  • Early phase: Jain themes.
  • Later phase: Incorporated Vaishnava (Hindu) themes.
• Base:
  • Early Jain paintings were made on palm leaves.
  • Later, they transitioned to paper.
• Colours:
  • Early phase: Red, yellow, ochre, used symbolically.
  • Later phase: Bright and gold colors became more common.
• Features:
  • Human Figures: Depicted with fish-shaped bulging eyes, pointed noses, and double chins.
  • Toys: Animal and bird figures were often portrayed as toys.
• Famous Paintings:
  • Kalpasutra and the Kalakacharya Katha (15th century).

Transition Period Miniature (14th Century)

• The arrival of Muslims in the Indian subcontinent initiated a cultural renaissance in the 14th century, with the blending of different painting styles.
• Region: In the Southern States of Vijayanagara, a different style emerged closer to the Deccan style of painting.
• Landscapes: Depicted with trees, rocks, and other natural designs that do not focus on replicating the natural appearance precisely, indicating a shift towards more abstract representations.

Miniature Art During the Delhi Sultanate

• The Sultanate period attempted to merge Persian elements with Indian traditional art.
• Famous Examples:
  • Nimatnama (a cookery book) during the reign of Nasir Shah.
  • Lodi Khuladar: Another prevalent style in Sultanate regions, especially in Delhi and Jaunpur.

Mughal Era Miniature Paintings

• The Mughal paintings had a distinctive style, heavily influenced by Persian antecedents.
• Focus: Shifted from depicting gods to glorifying the ruler, showcasing his life. Themes often included hunting scenes, historical events, and court life.
• Colours: Paintings were known for their brilliant, unique colors.
• Technique of Foreshortening: A perspective technique where objects were drawn to appear closer and smaller than in reality, adding depth and realism.

Contribution of Mughal Rulers to Paintings

Babur: Patronized Persian artist Behzad, who created the Mughal family tree. However, Babur had limited time to focus on commissioning paintings.

Humayun: Played a key role in establishing Mughal painting. He brought Khwaja Abdus Samad and Mir Sayyid Ali with him, initiating formal painting practices.

Akbar: Established the Tasvir Khana under Abdus Samad, a formal artistic studio where salaried artists developed their own styles.

• Focused on 3D figures and calligraphy.
• Increased emphasis on court life and its depictions.
• Famous Works:
  • Tutinama (Tales of a Parrot).
  • Hamzanama.
  • Anvar-I Suhaili, Gulistan of Sadi.
  • Paintings on the walls of Mariam’s Palace.

Jahangir: A great patron of the arts, Jahangir brought a uniquely Indian style to Mughal painting.

• Appointed Abdus Samad’s head of department for painting.
• Material life and natural scenes became major themes.
• Famous works include naturalistic paintings of animals such as zebras, turkeys, and cocks.

Shah Jahan: Promoted the use of gold on a large scale in paintings, adding to their grandeur and opulence.

• He liked to create artificial elements and tried to reduce liveliness of paintings.
• He eschewed the use of charcoal to draw and encouraged use of pencil. Increase in use of Gold and silver in paintings.
• Brighter colour palettes compared to predecessor.

Aurangzeb: His considered painting as un-Islamic and took a strong stance against it:

• Destroyed Paintings: He ordered the destruction of paintings from Bijapur and Golkonda.
• Forbade Royal Patronage: Painting was banned from the Mughal court, leading to a decline in Mughal art during his reign.

General Characteristic Features of Mughal Paintings

1. Court Art: Shifted from depicting religious gods to a focus on court life.
2. Combination of Persian, Indian, and European Elements:

• Persian Influence: Seen in narrative and two-dimensional paintings, especially during the initial phase.
• Indian Influence: Evident in portrait paintings with 3D effects, and the use of vibrant colors such as peacock blue and red.
• European Influence: Use of light and shadow effects, halo around figures, and the depiction of roaring clouds, reflecting European styles of realism.

1. Secular in Outlook: Religious themes were not depicted, focusing instead on non-religious subjects.
2. Themes:

• Revolved around life in and around the court, with some emphasis on natural beauty.
• Flowers held particular significance, with the rose being especially prominent.