ROYAL RAJPUT’S PAINTING

Art is one of the oldest and most effective means of communication between two entities. It has the ability that can deeply touch your soul, and the ancient peoples undoubtedly knew how to make the most of it. Rajasthan, the land of kings is also referred to as ‘land of the RAJPUTS’ played an important part in the development of the unique art form of Rajput Paintings.

Rajput painting of royal Rajputana queen; Image Source : fuzia.com

Rajasthani paintings, also known as Rajput paintings, communicate well with those who want to learn about their culture, architecture, and people's stories from the past via art. In the Rajputana royal courts, these paintings developed and flourished. Rajput art began in the late 16th and early 17th centuries in the royal kingdoms of Rajasthan.

The Mughals dominated practically all of Rajasthan's princely territories at the time, and as a result, most Rajput painting schools in India display a strong Mughal influence. While the Mughals continued to target Rajput Paintings, Mewar was never conquered by the Mughal Empire. Rajput Paintings blossomed in the Mewar region as a result, and they are generally regarded as the "purest form" of art.

Rana Pratap Rana Amar Singh was enthroned on the throne of Mewar in 1597. He accepted Mewar's dominance to some extent, and the influence of Mughal art can be seen in Mewar's paintings for the same reason. Nathdwara style, Devgarh style, and Shahpura style are the three different Rajput painting styles of Mewar reign.

The Rajput rulers and their lives, Krishna Lila, Shiva and Parvati, the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana, ancient songs and romances, Ragamalas, seasons, landscapes, and animals are all part of the repertoire of Rajasthani painting.

Although each Rajputana royal kingdom had its own distinct style, several elements were shared by all. These paintings reflect many themes and episodes from epics like the Ramayana. Landscapes, human people, and even godly figures such as Lord Krishna are all represented beside this. Portraits of the ruling family, who have regularly seen hunting, were popular at times. The Rajput Paintings depicted Hindu mythology.

The majority of these paintings were created on the walls of palaces, forts' interior chambers, and Havelis, and therefore some of them were lost over time.

Minerals, plant sources, conch shells, and some precious stones such as gold and silver were used to create the colors in the paintings. These colors took a long time to make, taking two weeks in total. In addition, the paintings' brushes are fine, giving them an elaborate finish.

The Rajputs also developed their school of painting, these schools of painting flourished in Rajputana India's princely states, the rajwade, and the thikanas, aristocratic territories, between the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 19th century. The School arose from wall paintings and Western Indian text illustrations, with Mughal, European, and Chinese influences becoming evident in later years.

The four primary schools of Rajasthani painting are divided into sub-styles representing the various princely states these are MEWAR SCHOOL, MARWAR SCHOOL, HADOTI SCHOOL, AND DHUNDAR SCHOOL. Regardless of wars or shifting political realities, each princely kingdom kept its own atelier of artists.

rajput painting; Image Source: hisour.com