About Indian Painting

India, the land of color, joy, beauty and dream can be best silhouetted through Indian paintings. If one wants to appreciate India, then Indian paintings must be observed if one wants to appreciate Indian paintings it is the whole India which needs to be observed. Like India, Indian paintings are also vast, diverse, historic and unique. Indian painting with its sheer dynamism showcases the artistic elegance of the country. Be it the murals of Ajanta, Ellora, the Buddhist palm leaf manuscripts, the Jain texts or the Mughal, Deccan and Kangra discipline of miniature painting, there is one common theme between all of them; a classical demonstration of the innocence of art, beauty and truth.

Indian painting has evolved from the hinterlands and has remained immortal in the annals of history. The rock painting that was discovered in Bhimbhetka and other places are known to exist from pre-historic times. Some of them even go back to the late 5500 BC, while some are even older. The Indian paintings are the great sinews of beauty, art and culture. They further emerged through the pages of history and after more than a few millennia, around in 7th century; India witnessed the magnificent engraved pillars and the fine painting of Ellora in Maharashtra state. The Indian paintings portray the plethora of events from the Buddhist literatures including the palaces of kings and the noble class. But these paintings have not survived through the ages. The colours used for these paintings are prepared from minerals. The tradition of painting in India is therefore as old and varied as the land itself. Started since the prehistoric times, traditional painting in India gained dimension with time. The different forms of traditional painting in India are therefore vivid and lively, bold and vigorous whilst reflecting the refined and sophisticated artistry of Indian painting. Some traditional paintings like Warli, Madhubani and Patachitra are globally commended.

The Indian painting can be broadly classified as wall paintings and miniature. The different types of paintings fall under this two broad category but again they can be classified depending on their evolution, emergence and style. Almost all of the ancient paintings are engraved on the wall of caves and temples. Miniature paintings are paintings made on small canvasses of clothes and papers. Dash of color, intricate design and delicate brushwork marks the miniature painting, an illustrative of the Indian painting.. With a rich history dating back to the 6-7th century Miniature Painting in India conveyed reality with its sheer subtleties. The different schools of Indian miniatures like the Pala, Orissa, Jain, Mughal, Rajasthani and Nepali did not grow after isolation. The 11th century Pala miniatures were the earliest to arrive. Their most important contributing factor was the symbolic use of colour. This type of art mainly evolved in the medieval age especially narrating the royal life and this form of art is popular until now.

Apart from the miniature paintings Dravidian mural paintings are also matchless examples of Indian painting. These are the unique frescos drawn on the walls of temples and churches in South India, predominant in Kerala. The themes of the paintings are largely drawn from mythology and legends. These paintings are largely found in the churches, palaces, and temples constructed between the 9th to 12th centuries AD when this art form enjoyed majestic support.

The history of Indian painting is thus vivid and unfurls the tale of invasions, love, Court life and that of the perfumed palaces. The creative surge of the Rajput school for the very first time offered that evolutionary energy for the rich speciation which yielded amidst the Basholi style of painting, in the then India. Styles then became homogeneous. In the 12th century AD, the Sarigeeta Ratnakara, an important treatise first mentioned the presiding deity of each raga. This distinctly gave rise to a whole new concept in Indian painting and later named as Ragamala painting. The Ragamala paintings were thus created by all the major schools of painting of the medieval age such as the Mughal, Pahari, Deccani and Rajasthani. It was after a brief period Mughal paintings developed in the 16th to 18th centuries during the reign of the Mughal emperors. A distinct blend of Indian, Islamic and Persian styles hallmarked the Mughal paintings with its entire originality.

Right after the Mughal painting the Deccani school of Painting made Indian painting rich, vivid and illustrative. The Deccani School of painting got inspiration from the Mughal School and evolved its own unique and very characteristic style. Pale green, mineral-coloured backgrounds with figures placed squarely in the foreground marks the Deccani school of painting as an expression of subtleties through brushwork.

The colonial period further offered that contemporaneity to Indian painting whilst making the aspects which were larger than life, rather realistic. Indian paintings then brought out the verve of India amidst those bold brushworks. The unspoken truths, the never mouthed verities and above all the unedited realities of life all found a distinct dimension in those famous Indian paintings.

Cornificius rightly says that `picture is a poem without words` and the Indian artists are true poets. They have propelled Indian painting into the world of art and culture. Some of the famous Indian painters who not only gained accolades in India but also known internationally, are Amrita Shergill, Jamini Roy, Raja Ravi Varma, MF Hussain and Tyeb Mehta. Raja Ravi Varma is one of the greatest Indian painters and his place in Indian painting is etched in gold.

Indian Paintings in Ancient Age

Indian paintings in ancient age involve the multiple forms of classical paintings, which developed in various parts of the country. The cave paintings of Ajanta and Ellora offer some of the most famous creations of the dexterous painters of India. However, ancient Indian paintings not only imply the different types of specialized paintings existent in many regions of the nation, but also the wide variety of beautiful paintings created by village artists and craftsmen. These paintings generally portrayed the regular lives of people, and pictures which painted the colours of a harmonized world. Natural, social and religious themes were adopted into these ancient paintings.

Madhubani Paintings : Also known as `Mithila painting`, Madhubani painting is an ancient Indian painting which originated in the Mithila District of Bihar. Natural dyes are used in this art. Madhubani paintings are practiced during festive occasions like `Holi`, marriage, birth, `Kali Puja`, `Upanayan` or thread ceremony and `Durga Puja`. Commonly used colours are lamp black, reddish brown and ochre. Mithila paintings are done by the womenfolk of the towns of Darbhanga and Madhubani. Images of the sun, the `tulsi` plant, royal events, weddings, etc.

Cave Paintings : India possesses some of the most excellent rock-cut cave paintings like Ajanta and Ellora, etc. which contain paintings that are believed to be living masterpieces of the religious art of Buddhism. Many Pithalkhora Caves located in Maharashtra are decorated with colourful paintings which date back to the 4th century AD. Paintings of Bagh Caves in Madhya Pradesh, Badami Cave temples in Karnataka, Ravan Chhaya rock shelter in Orissa, Elephanta Caves, Bhaja Caves and others like Karsamble, Thanale, Kuda, Lenyadri, Tulja Lena and Manmod are the other reputed cave paintings found in ancient India. The ceiling of the Badami Cave temple consists of the portrait of a four-armed image of Lord Brahma, seated on His swan. Ancient Indian cave paintings are also present in Karnataka, known as `Ravana Phadi`.

Mural Paintings : Mural paintings are said to be the earliest instances of ancient Indian paintings. Several Indian temples are embellished with flamboyant murals. Mythological figures and tales of many legendary accounts are depicted through murals. Religious themes are also imbibed in various ancient cave paintings of Kerala. Yellow ochre, terracotta and lamp black were mainly utilized for these paintings. Frescoes of Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Bagh Caves and Badami Caves are impressive mural paintings. Vinaya Pitaka has stated that portraits of kings, traders and merchants were painted on the walls of royal palaces in ancient India. The subjects of such creations were generally those of animals, deities, family scenes, human figures and stories from `Jataka`. Mural paintings have been performed in several portions of India like Alchi and Hemis monasteries in Ladakh, Tabo Monastery in Himachal Pradesh, Bundi, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Ajmer, Deeg, Kerala and many others.

Kalamkari Paintings : Kalamkari is obtained from a pair of Persian words, `kalam` (pen) and `kari` (work). Kalamkari paintings comprise of Block Printings as well as manual paintings, which are done by freehand. This type of painting was originally meant for temples. Kalamkari paintings belong to two distinct styles: Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam. Themes of kalamkari paintings were inspired by Hindu epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Indian Puranas.

Rock paintings, cave paintings, miniatures, murals and Rajput paintings are some of the renowned paintings which were practiced in India since ancient periods. A majority of these paintings have been preserved by the Government of India, as they are a source of the rich Indian culture and heritage. Be it the murals of Ajanta, Ellora, the Buddhist palm leaf manuscripts, the Jain texts or the Mughal, Deccan and Kangra discipline of miniature painting, there is one common theme between all of them; a classical demonstration of the innocence of art, beauty and truth.

Modern Indian Painting

Modern Indian Painting constitutes various types of painters. In the recent times however, there have been a lot of women painters who have come along and have established themselves in the field of art and paintings. One of the famous names among the Indian women painter is Amrita Shergil. She is also called India`s Frida Kahlo and today is also considered an important personality of 20th century India. The legacy of Amrita Shergil stands in par with Masters of Bengal Renaissance, and is also the most expensive woman painter of India.

Presently she is amongst the Nine Masters whose work of art, in 1976 and 1979, was declared as art treasures by The Archaeological Survey of India. There are over 100 paintings of her that are currently displayed at National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi.

During the British rule, there were Western Influences that started to make an impact on Indian art. Some artists inculcated a typical style that used the western ideas of composition, perception and realism to demonstrate Indian themes. Other painters like Jamini Roy, consciously drew inspiration from folk art. By the time India gained independence in the year 1947, there were several schools in India that provided access to modern ideas and techniques. Galleries were set to exhibit the paintings of these artists. Modern Indian art typically shows the influence of western style of art, which are very often inspired by Indian themes and images. Important artists are starting to gain international fame, initially among Indian Diaspora but later among non-Indians painting lovers as well.

Shortly after India achieved independence in 1947, the Progressive Group set up new ways to express India in the post-colonial period. The founders were six established artists like K. H. Ara, S. K. Bakre, H. A. Gade, M.F. Hussain, S.H. Raza and Francis Newton Souza, though the group was dissolved in 1956, it was overwhelmingly prominent in changing the idiom of Indian art. All major names in the artistic Diaspora were associated with the group. Among them, some who are still well known today are Bal Chabda, Manishi Dey, Mukul Dey, V. S. Gaitonde, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, and Akbar Padamsee. Other popular painters like Jahar Dasgupta, Prokash Karmakar, Narayanan Ramachandran, and Bijon Choudhuri helped enrich Indian art culture in India as well. These people are now icons of modern Indian paintings.

Paintings in India got a huge boost during the liberalization periods in the early 1990s. Artists from various fields started to bring different types and styles of work. Art work started to spread and was not only confined to academic traditions but also went well beyond that. Artists introduced new concepts which have hitherto not been seen in Indian art. Devajyoti Ray introduced new genre of art called Pseudo-realism. This is a special type of art, which was entirely developed on India soil. Pseudo-realism takes into consideration the Indian concept of abstraction and uses it to transform regular scenes of Indian life into fantastic images.

In the post-liberalization India, there are many Indian artists who have set themselves in the international art market like the abstract painter Natvar Bhavsar and sculptor Anish Kapoor whose mammoth post-minimalist artworks have garnered interest and attention for their sheer size. There are also numerous galleries and art houses that have been established in Europe and USA to showcase Indian artwork talents.

Types of Indian Painting

• Cave Paintings: Indian cave paintings are regarded as the earliest evidences of Indian paintings that use the cave walls and palaces as canvas. There are several styles that can be recognised. This starts from prehistoric cave painting of Bhimbetka and flourishes through cave paintings of Ajanta caves, Ellora caves and Bagh. Bhimbetka of Madhya Pradesh records a range of prehistoric paintings discovered in numerous caves. Cave Paintings of Ajanta and Ellora refer to the Buddhist monks who employed painters to draw the life and teachings of Lord Buddha , Jataka on the walls of the Ajanta caves. The figures along with their costumes and jewelleries in beautiful colours and style can be manifested in Ajanta while Ellora caves have the paintings that are mostly of Hindu deities.

• Mughal Paintings: Paintings of the Mughal are the amalgamations of Indo-Islamic style of painting which flourished in the ateliers of Mughal emperors including Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, delineating neatly the court life of Mughal royal society. Tanjore Paintings are classical South Indian form of painting which evolved in the village of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu state well-known for its richness and compactness of forms and vivid colours.


• Rajasthani Paintings: Rajasthani painting has clear influences of Mughal paintings though it is quite distinct in its own way. Different parts of the state stick to their own style, and are thus recognized as different schools of paintings. A number of famous schools of painting are Mewar, Hadoti, Marwar, Kishangarh, Alwar and Dhundhar.

• Madhubani Paintings: Women belonging to the small town called Madhubani and other villages of Mithila mainly do Madhubani Paintings or Mithila Paintings. Formerly they were made on mud walls of small hut but now they are carved on paper and clothes also. The subject involves Hindu Gods and Goddesses, the natural objects like moon and sun, sacred plant like Tulsi and its specialty remains in use of vegetable colours.

• Pahari Paintings: Pahari Painting is the miniature painting with beautiful scenes of Himalaya as the backdrop. Evolved in the hilly states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir during the period of Rajputs they have an essence of rugged nature. There are three distinct schools named Basholi, Guler-Kangra and Sikh.

• Warli Paintings: Warli paintings of Maharashtra are closely linked with nature and social rituals of the tribe. Warli paintings showcase daily activities of the local people of that community like farming, dancing, hunting, praying, etc.

• Lepakshi Paintings: Another type of Indian painting is the Lepakshi Painting; a wall painting made on the walls of temple of Lepakshi, a small village in Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Indian Folk Painting gives a pictorial expression of village painters, which are marked by the subjects chosen from epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata and other mythological stories.

• Patachitra: Patachitra flourishing in the state of Odisha is made on cloth with extremely vivid colours and mythology-based subject.

• Kalighat Painting: Kalighat pots are another form, which are made on earthen pot or cloth and find their use as wall hangings.

• Batik Painting: Batik Painting or wax writing refers to the technique which involves waxing and de-waxing and subtle use of colour shades. The process is popular in West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu states and is used for dress materials, wall hangings, scarf, etc.

• Kalamkari: Kalamkari is the form of art that involves weaving and block printing apart from painting.

• Silk Paintings: Silk Paintings provide the charm and the mystique sense of silk are used as canvas of portrait or painting, which gives a very elegant, soft but bright look. Silk Paintings are done on cloth or different types of fabric.

• Palm Leaf Painting: Palm Leaf Etching is among the most ancient form of art, which evolved mainly in Odisha and known as "Talapatrachitra".

• Glass Painting: Glass Painting thrives to be one type of Indian painting which is comparatively a recent form. It is extremely delightful to the connoisseur`s eyes for its clarity and richness of colours. The glass is engraved and then coloured from the reverse side.


•Marble Painting: Marble Painting is a type of Indian painting which is also a recent form of painting made on exquisite marble stones; the subject varying from traditional ones to contemporary. Marble paintings are mainly used for decorative purpose, especially on tabletop, furniture and flower vases.

Different types of Indian paintings have been introduced in different times of history. The forms of paintings have become popular from different regions and finally found its place in the international domain of art.