INDIAN Art

Indian Paintings has a very long tradition and history in Indian art. The earliest Indian Paintings were the rock paintings of prehistoric times, the petroglyphsas found in places like Bhimbetka rock shelters, some of the stone age rock paintings found among the Bhimbrtka rock shelters, some of the stone stone age paitings found among the Bhimbetka literature is replete with examples of texts which describes palaces of the army and the aristrocratic class embellished with paintings, but the paintings of the Ajantha Caves are the most significant of the few survivals.Smaller scale paintings in manuscripts was probably also practised in this period, though the earliest survivals are from the meldival period. Mughal painting represented a fusion of the Persian miniature with older Indian Traditions, and from the 17th century it's style was diffused across Indian princely courts of all religions, each developed a local style. Company paintings were made for British cilents under the British raj, which from the 19th century also introduced art schools along Western lines, leading to modern Indian Painting, ahich is increasingly returning to it's Indian roots.

Indian Paintings provide an aesthetic continuum that extends from the early civilization to the present day. From being essentially religious in purpose in the begining, Indian painting has evolved over the years to become a fusion of various cultures and traditions.

Sandanga of Indian Painting:

Around the 1st century BC the Sandanga or Six Limbs of Indian Painting, were evolved, a series of canons laying down the main principles of the art. Vatsyayana, who lived during the third century AD, enumerates these in his Kamasutra having extracted them from still more ancient works.
These 'Six Limbs' have beeb translated as follows:
Rupabheda The Knowledge of apperances.
Pramanam Correct preception, Measure and Structure.
Bhaca Action of Feelings on forms.
Lavanya Yojanam Infusion of grace, artistic representation.
Sadrisyam Similitude.
Varnikabhanga Artistic manner of using the brush and colours.
The subsequent development of painting by the Buddhist indicates that these 'Six Limbs' were put into practice by Indian artists, and are the basic principles on which their art was founded.

Genres of Indian Painting:

Ancient Indian art has the rise of the Bengal School of art in 1930s followed by many forms of experimentations in European and Indian styles. In the aftermath of India's independence, many new genres of art developed by important artists like Jamini Roy, MF Husain, FN Souza, and Gaitonde. With the progress of the economy the forms and styles of art also underwent many changes. In the 1990s, Indian economy leading to the free flow of cultural information within an without. Artists include Subodh Gupta, Atul Dodiya, Devajyoti Ray, Bose Krishnamachari and Jitish Kahllat whose works went for auction in international markets. Bharti Dayal has chosen to handle the traditional Mithila painting in most contemporary way and created her own style through excercises of her own imagination, they appear freas and unusual Indian Paintings can be broadly classified as murals and miniature paintings are executed on a very small scale for books or albums on perishable material such as paper and cloth. The Palas of Begal were the pioneers of miniature painting in India. The art of miniature painting reached it's glory during the Mughal period. The tradition of miniature paintings was carried forward by the painters of different Rajasthani schools paonting like the Bundi, Kishanagarh, Jaipur, Marwar and Mewar. The Ragamala Paintings also belongs to this school, as does the Company painting produced for British cilents under the British Raj.

Mughal Painting:

Mughal Painting is a particular style of Indian Painting, generally confined to illustrations on the book and done in moniatures, and which emerged, developed and took shape during the period of the Mughal Empire 16th- 19th centuries.
Mughal Paintings were a unique blend of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles. Because the Mughal kings wanted visual records of their deeds as hunters and conquerors, their artists accompained them on military expeditions or missions of state, or recorded their prowess as animal slayers, or depicted them in the great dynastic ceremonies of marriages.

Akbar's regin(1556-1605) ushered a new era in Indian miniature Painting power, he built a new capital at Fatehpur Sikri where he collected artists from India and Persia. He was the first monarch who established in India an atelier under the supervision of two Persian master artists, Mir Sayyed Ali and Abdus Samad. Earlier, both of them had served under the patronage of Humayun in Kabul and accompained him to India when he ragained his trone in 1555. More than a hundred painters were employed, most of whome were Hindus from Gijarat, Gwalior and Kashmir, who gave a birth to a new school of painting, popularly known as the Mughal School of Miniature Paintings.

Modern Indian Painting:

Bu the time of Independance in 1947, several schools of art in India provided access to modern techniques and ideas. Galleries were established to showcase these artists. Modern Indian art typically shows the influence of Western styles, but is often inspired by Indian themes and images. Major artists are begining to gain international recognition, initally among the Indian diaspora, but also among non-Indian auidances.