Behind every school of Indian Miniature painting is a master artist whose skill and unique style set the standards for what good art ought to look like. These artists rose to great heights and oftentimes supervised the work of younger artists at royal workshops or ateliers. Just as we’ve looked at the lives of painters like Nainsukh and Nisaruddin, today’s blog delves into the work of the Miniature Master Sahibdin.
The art of tiles and ceramics has always been an eye-catching and integral part of ancient architecture across most cultures. The journey of this elegant art form, tile art, is a long one, and understanding how cultures influence art, opens our minds to a variety of nuances of our own history. Let’s explore the origins and journey of tile art across nations.
Bikaner is one of the numerous tourist attractions in the state of Rajasthan. This colourful desert town is home to a unique style of Miniature painting. The Bikaner School, or ‘shaili’ as they were referred to, features a blend of Deccan influences with a Mughal touch. This school rose to fame due to the expertise of two painter clans: the eminent court painter Ruknuddin belonged to one of them.
The trajectory of a woman’s image in Indian Art has been wavering and contradictory. During the prehistoric period, she was perceived as the source of life for her procreative ability and her significant support in food-gathering activities and sheltering. At the same time, feminine energy was revered as the goddess of their clan. Over time, the image of women in Indian art varied and went on to become a depiction of grace and beauty.
This Miniature Maestro attained fame under various different names. Though scholars may not be able to agree on a single iteration of his name, Nisar-ud-in, Nasiruddin, or Nisaruddin, all refer to the mysterious Miniature painter of Mewar who painted the famous Chawand Ragamala.
Art is the most preferred way to express emotions, narrate tales, or exhibit history in a creative format. Speaking of which, Indian art has often been a metaphor or symbol to highlight relevant issues over time. As we know, Indian art in various forms, like sculptures, wall paintings, architecture and engraved scriptures, has captured historic tales, beliefs and traditions.
Nainsukh: Joy (to) the Eyes was one of the most prominent Pahari Miniature painters of his time and is recognised even today for his immense contribution to this genre of painting. Originally from Guler, his most popular paintings are from his time at Jasrota. His work would go on to significantly influence the Basohli style of painting as well as impact the late stages of the Kangra shaili.
Amidst laughter and festivities, bright lights and vivid hues, a child sits next to their mother and takes in the mesmerising process of creating a Rangoli floor painting. The mother, an expert, deftly creates patterns of coloured powder by manipulating it between her forefinger and thumb. Seldom do men gather around a rangoli; the process is traditionally reserved for the wives and daughters of the Hindu household.
As a child, many of us heard the story of the thirsty crow. As we grew older, we came across many stories from Aesop’s fables or the Panchatantra. Not only are such stories entertaining, but they often include a moral at the end. Children are fascinated by animal characters behaving in human ways, so these tales make them more receptive to picking up good values.
Why doesn’t Indian traditional art use the realistic oil-painting approach, commonly used in international paintings and what are the influences of our great art forms? Since the beginning of time, words have not been enough in communicating ideas, imparting wisdom or depicting tales. As a race, we’ve resorted to a stronger, visual representation of thoughts and data, to try and understand the bizarre world around us, from it’s overwhelming information, to the simplicity of forms, to the nuances of day to day life in this existence, be it of the royalty or the common people, or the animals or the supernatural.
