Heritage India - Indian Paintings

Painting as an art form has flourished in India from very early periods as is evident from literary sources and also from the remnants that have been discovered. Indian Paintings can be broadly classified as the murals & miniatures. Murals are huge works executed on the walls of solid structures. Classic examples are the paintings in Ajantha & Kailasantaha temple.   

Miniature paintings are those executed on a very small scale on perishable material such as paper, cloth, etc., Though this style had been perfected by artisans under the various rules, not many remain today. Prime examples are the Rajasthani & Mughal miniatures.   

Contemporary artists have kept up to the times & excel in their modern works, giving free expression to their imagination & artistic liberty.

The styles and varieties in this list of paintings from India are as diverse as the nation itself. The following list includes wall paintings, calendar paintings, oil classics, miniatures and even cave paintings. They are culled from different time periods and we hope that studying them will provide the viewer an appreciation of  the history of art in India

Indian paintings traditions go back to antiquity, as is evident from the murals of Ajanta, Ellora and other frescoes, the Buddhist palm leaf manuscripts, the Jain texts and the Deccan, Mughal and Kangra schools of miniature Indian painting.

Indian Painting is an old tradition, with ancient texts outlining theories of color and and anecdotal accounts suggesting that it was common for households to paint their doorways or  indoor rooms where guests resided. Cave paintings from Ajanta, Bagh and Sittanvasal and temple paintings testify to a love of naturalism.

Painting as an art form has flourished in India from very early periods as is evident from literary sources and also from the remnants that have been discovered. Numerous paintings or Patas are mentioned in the Mudrakshaka.

There are isolated paintings like the Yama-pata; isolated framed drawings like Cauka-patas and the Dighala-patas or long scroll of paintings, representing a complete legend. In another book Vishnudharmottara, the section Chitrasutra describes the basic tenets of painting. According to this treatise, the six limbs of painting are: variety of form, proportion, infusion of emotions, creation of luster and iridescence, portrayal of likeness and colour mixing to produce the effect of modeling. The Vinayapitaka (3-4 century BC) describes the existence of painted figures in many royal buildings.

Paintings and drawings of animals dating back to prehistoric times have been found in the Bhimbetka caves in Madhya Pradesh. The Mesolithic paintings of Narsingarh ( M.P.) show skins of spotted deer left drying which indicate that man has acquired the art of tanning skins for clothing and shelter. Thousands of years later, paintings appear on the seals of the Harappan Civilization.

In the early historic rock paintings the animals are depicted as half human and half animal. In the paintings of the later period, men are depicted as riding on cattle and elephants. Battle scenes, royal processions, men riding garrisoned horses predominate the rock canvas as in Mahadeo Hills, M.P. The Ajanta and Ellora caves and the Bagh caves are excellenct specimens of paintings of the early Christian era.

The Guptas were the great patrons of art and the period 4-6 centuries is often described as the Golden Age of Indian Arts. The Pallavas also left behind excellent examples of paintings in temples. The Cholas promoted both painting and sculpture. The Palas, who ruled the eastern India during 9-16th Centuries A.D. gave immense encouragement to painting. The earliest paintings of this period are on palm leafs and wooden covers of manuscripts. These can be described as the earliest examples of Miniature painting in India.

Indian Paintings