Kishangarh

Etymology: Hailing from Kishangarh, these miniature paintings are named after the place of their origin.

Origin: Kishangarh miniatures originate from the princely state of central Rajasthan.

Location: This is a localized art form originating from Rajasthan.

Community: The relationships of Kishangarh court had with the Mughals in Delhi made the combination, they were political as well as cultural. The Kings travelled to the imperial court and welcomed artists from Delhi to their palaces, the use of Persian as a political and administration dialect in Rajasthan also contributed to the absorption of Mughal culture into the Kishangarh court.

Relevance: Themes like the poetry of Nagraridas, the divine lovers Krishna-Radha, the 'Pushtimargiya' cult of Vallabhacharya, and Krishna Lila themes rose to prominence in court art and were personal favourites of the Kishangarh kings.

Background: The Kishangarh school of Rajasthani painting developed in the 18th century and emerged as the princely state of Kishangarh in the central Rajasthan state. The Kishangarh school had an immense influence on the Mughal style and adopted its style through various artists in the courts. The influence of Persian political and cultural dialects was seen. Famous painters like Bhavanidas, came to Kishangarh in 1719 straight from the Mughal courts, Nihal Chand and Man Singh, Amar Chand, and others. The Mughal and Persian influences were growing some musicians came into the court from Delhi. Poetry through the work of miniatures was a patron in Kishangarh paintings.

Culture and Societies: Following the Mughal history of depicting animals and serving as a method of record-keeping, equestrian portrait culture serves both artistic and practical purposes. Several horse-related paintings from the Kishangarh school exhibit stylized and extended depictions of the physical form that distinguish its devotional paintings.

Religious significance: The distinctive feature of Kishangarh's miniature paintings is that they have been particularly influenced by two Religious Schools of Love: Vaishnavism and Sufism. Nihal Chand's painting of Krishna and scenes from the Bhagavata Purana were developed. The epics Gitagovinda and Ramayana were among the notable works composed by court artists like Ladli Das during this time.

Legends and Myths: Nihal Chand in the painting depicted Sawant Sigh as blue-skinned Krishna and Vishnu Priya i.e. Bani Thani as Radha in his paintings.

Central motifs and their significance: Abundant greenery and waterbodies are celebrated thoroughly in these paintings. Marbled architecture made appearances in the form of terraces, open arches, and traditional archways. Religious themes and scenes from the Royal Court have favoured compositions.

Mediums used: The pigments were created by grinding or with the help of mortar, some of the colours acquired are as follows: White (dull) colour from Khadiya stone, Blue colour from Opium, Red colour from Hingulal stone, Brown colour from Geru stone, Red (dark) colour from Hansraj, Orange colour from Mercury and Sindoor, Green colour from Sheelu stone. The brushes were made from squirrel hair and animal fur was utilized. The paintings were created on handmade paper called 'wasli'. These papers were made by pasting layers of paper to make them thick.

Style: Kishangarh miniatures stand out for their portrayal of human figures. They have sharp facial features, an elongated nose, lotus-shaped half-closed eyes, a pulled-back hairline, and to complete the portrait a pointed chin. The chiaroscuro observed in the foregrounds and the background is plausible. Softer hues and tones of warm pigments are utilised, and colours such as blue, green, yellow, red, and orange are widely used. The clothes worn by human figures are mostly transparent and adorned with paisley or floral prints. Hints of Mughal miniatures are prominent in the Kishangarh paintings.

Process: To complete the process of Kishangarh painting, there are four steps: Firstly, the figure is sketched out over the base on the wasli material and the base colours from vegetables, flowers and other natural materials are filled. Then, fine detailing is done with a one-hair brush made of squirrel hair, and then the paintings are burnished to give smoothness to colour and shine to the painting. And, finally, crushed gold and silver colour is given for decoration to make a royal appearance to the paintings.

Some artists are still preserving this traditional painting art, one of the well-known artists is 'Shehzad Ali' who is a Pichwai artist from Kishangarh and has been practising Pichwai and Kishangarh art for many years and learned under the guidance of Padmashri Kripal Singh Shekhawat. He is the recipient of many awards like the State Award, the Rajasthan Lalit Kala Academi Commendation certificate, and more.

His paintings were also exhibited at Delhi Central Academy, and his name is published in Artist Directory in 2006 in Delhi Central Academy, he is the 3rd generation who took up Kishangarh miniature art. Mr Ali's son Faizan works with him and runs a business to share art with the world.

Pauwels, H.R.M. 2017. Mobilizing Krishna's world Washington. University of Washington Press.