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The Royal Ateliers of
Rajasthan
The Rajasthani miniaturs evolved styles
that became apparent in the different
kingdoms where if found patronage. Used
initially as illustrations for texts, they
evolved later as portfolios of the life and
times of their royal patrons.
In Rajasthan, there were seven distinctive
styles of what are also referred to as
Rajput paintings, and they evolved in the
following seven states:
Bikaner: One of the finest schools of
miniatures developed in this desert state.
Early examples exist from 1600 on and show a
marked Mughal influence. In fact, the local
style kept pace with the painters in the
Mughal court, and were expressive of their
nuances, even while the Bikaneri artist
tended to be more expressive. There have
been cases of Mughal and Bikaneri miniatures
being mistaken for each other, even though
the paintings used backgrounds and
colourscapes that are more pleasant, and the
foliage (as if to make up for the desert
conditions), more luxuriant. There is a
palette of delicate sub colours, and a
delicacy in the portrayal of human and
vegetational forms.
Bundi and Kota: Though the two
ateliers eventually developed separate
identities, they began with marked common
identities. The result of the rise of the
school of miniatures here was the result of
Mughal intervention that blended the two
traditions of illustrating court, scenes.
From the beginning, however, the differences
are discernible. The human figures appear to
have a haunting, if fleshier, appearance,
and are not marked by formal austerity. The
early works are commissions for illustrating
traditional texts such as Ragamala and
Rasikapriya. Later, the school took to the
eulogistion of its patron kings, in both the
portraits and the court scenes they tended
to paint.
As the ateliers developed, as elsewhere,
hunting scenes captured the fancy of the
artist, but here these evolved into an
entire school of its own from roughly 1700
on. Marked by a particular green tint, these
paintings idealised the landscape, including
the forestscape, a tradition that was to
continue. There was also an evolvement of
the depiction of feminine grace in groups of
young women leading to works that are more
colourful, and more creatively handled.
In the Bundi school, the background usually
consists of thick foliage, with a sky
overladen with clouds and illuminated by the
light of the setting sun. Where used, the
architectural background is equally
impressive, with palaces and apartments
depicted in fine detail. There is a lyrical
expression of love that permeates the
paintings, and ornamental backgrounds.
The same style evolved in Kota, but drifted
away to develop its own expression in a
similar but independent form.
Kishangarh: For sheer lyricism and
romance, there is nothing that matches the
sheer brilliance of the Kishangarh artist,
even though the flame of its brilliance
lasted only a short while. A Rathore
kingdom, the early work is similar to that
of the ateliers of Marwar. A more advanced
style replaced this in the first quarter of
the 18th century, and reached a point of
perfection wunder the patronage of Savant
Singh, the heir to the throne of Kishngarh
who finally abdicted in favour of his son
and chose to live a hermit's life in
Brindavan.
Under Savant Singh's tutelage, and the brush
of one of the finest painters of the period,
Nihal Chand, a school of paintings dealing
with Krishana and his lady love, Radha,
emerged. It is believed that the figures of
Krishna were modelled on Savant Singh, and
his mistress nicknamed Bani Thani, was the
role model for Radha. Certainly, portraits
of Bani Thani, are among the most attractive
among miniatures anywhere in India, and she
obviously inspired Nihal Chand to cast her
as Radha in his Ras Leela scenes.
The Kishangarh figures are exceptionally
attractive, and show a refined delicacy. The
backgrounds share the elaborate styling of
Mughal paintings, but the artist in
Kishangarh has used a greater expression of
creative freedom. The artists tended to
favour the use of evening light, with grey
skies setting off the fine colours of the
rest of the subject of their canvas.
However, the fine temperament lasted only a
few decades, but its outstanding
contribution ranks it among the finest body
of work to find expression in a canvas of
such elaborate colours.
Jaipur: The Jaipur gharana of
miniatures, while still active, was also its
most formal. Akin to the Mughal in its use
of backgrounds, and in the use of court
setting, it differed in the subjected that
spanned a more secular range. Of all the
schools in Rajasthan, Jaipur's use of
colours is the most nderstated. Its
depiction of scenes of nature, no doubt
inspired by Jehangir, too are exceptional.
Marwar: The Rathore kingdoms tended
to depict similar characteristics for,
though they were often at loggerheads, they
were also inspired by the same creative
expressions. They went on to become patrons
for some of the greatest collection of
Sanskrit and vernacular texts, and
commissioned paintings on a generous scale.
Their miniature style, which is best seen in
the works of the artist at Jodhpur, merges
it with the traditional depiction of the
human figure which, by the 18th century, had
been perfected. The faces are accentuated,
the eyes are large and curving (in what have
come to be referred to as 'Jodhpuri eyes'),
the turbans are worn high, and while they
sit or stand or ride, the men are shown with
a sense of vibrant enery. Even paintings
showing rulers practicing religious rituals
are not devoid of this quality of vibrancy.
The background tend to be characteristic too
with thick, rich decorative leaves of trees,
and skies enriched with thick, rolling
clouds. Aniline colours too are an important
feature.
Mewar: One of the largest ateliers in
Rajasthan was to be found in Udaipur where,
from the beginning of the 17th century till
the end of the 19th, there has been an
uninterrupted progression in miniature art.
The main theme, with few exceptions,
consisted of the traditional texts that
ranged from the Ragamala, Nayika-bhada and
Krishna Leela to the Ramayana and the
Bhagvata Purana. Scenes from the Krishana
leela came to be known for their amorous
qulity. One of the first defivitive sets of
Ragamala paintings, dated 1605, and executed
by painter Nasiruddin, still feature in the
collection at Udaipur.
The Mewar schools is celebrated for its
strong colours and decorative designs. The
landscape has been emphasised so that the
human figures tend to integrate with it, The
decorative features were further accentuated
with Mughal crossfertilisation when a
mosaic-like, decoracter character evolved,
especially with regard to foliage. Later,
lifestyle portraits developed in the Sisodia
atelier, replacing nature in a sense with
the background of the palaces of the Ranas. |
