Indian paintings

Prehistorical painting

Although the origin of prehistoric art was in the Paleolithic Age, it developed in the Mesolithic Age. Stone Age people painted pictures on the walls of caves. Most of these are pictures of birds and animals that they hunted. Male and female figures representing fertility were also painted. There are pictures drawn by Neolithic people in the Edakkal Caves in Wayanad district of Kerala.

Mural Painting

Painting reached its peak during the Gupta period. The subjects of Gupta painting included religious subjects, land, landscapes, water, flora, birds, animals, humans and demons. The best examples of Gupta painting are found at Ajanta, Ellora, the Bagh Caves in Madhya Pradesh, Sithanavasal Temple in Tamil Nadu, and the rock-cut caves in Sri Lanka. The wall paintings at Ajanta have been praised by art critics. They depict events from the lives of Gautama Buddha and his predecessors. The painting of a herd of bathing elephants in Cave No. 10 at Ajanta is marvelous. The painting of a princess lying on her deathbed and her relatives watching helplessly around her is an amazing work of art. 'The Renunciation of Buddha' is another remarkable work in the Ajanta paintings. Even after fifteen centuries, these paintings have not lost their luster. Chola-era paintings covering temple walls are found in Brihadeeswarar Temple (Tamil Nadu). Kerala Temples also depict mural paintings in temple walls showing rich regional styles.

Fresco Paintings

Fresco paintings are paintings painted on clay surfaces using natural colors. Fresco painting in India has a rich history spanning over 2,000 years. Traditional Indian artists primarily used the fresco-secco method. Craftsmen used natural minerals, plant extracts, and vegetable dyes for colors.

Miniature Paintings

■ Mughal painting

The Mughal emperors encouraged painting. The Mughals developed a new style of painting that combined Indian and Persian styles. New color schemes and styles of composition were introduced during this period. Akbar was a great connoisseur of art. He appointed many painters to paint the walls of Fatehpur Sikri. Daswant and Basavan were two famous painters in Akbar's palace. Mughal painting reached its peak during the time of Jahangir. It was common for different painters to paint the faces, bodiesand feet of people in the same painting. Jahangir could distinguish the lines of different painters in a painting. He would buy the paintings he liked at any price. Portrait painting became very popular during Jahangir's time. The most famous painter of that time was Mansur. 

Shah Jahan was not as interested in painting as his father was. He was more interested in architecture and jewelry. The main features of the paintings of his time were the color illusion and the excessive use of gold lines. Shah Jahan reduced the number of court painters. Gradually, painting lost its encouragement. Aurangzeb was a ruler who was hostile to painting. Bernier records that during his time, painters set up studios in the bazaars and sold their paintings to make a living. Aurangzeb destroyed many paintings, including those in Akbar's tomb at Sikandra. Many artists took refuge in different parts of the country. Although Aurangzeb's successors revived Mughal painting, it could not regain its former glory.

■ Rajput painting

Rajput is a style of painting that existed in Rajputana, Bundelkhand, Punjab and the Himalayan regions. It was developed in the royal courts of Rajasthan. These paintings typically depict epic themes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the divine love of Radha and Krishna. It is also known as Rajasthani painting.

■ Tanjore Painting

The main themes of Thanjavur paintings are the coronation of Sri Rama and the stories of Sri Krishna. It was developed in the Tamil Nadu. This southern style features a bold palette, iconic religious subjects, and surface embellishments like gold leaf and semi-precious stones.

■ Pahari Painting

Pahari painting is a style of painting found in Jammu, Kullu, Garhwal, Kangra, Basohli, Guler and Chamba. Pahari painting means painting from the mountains of sub-Himalayan hill kingdoms of North India. The paintings was developed roughly between the 17th and 19th centuries.

■ Deccan and Mysore Schools

Captured opulent royal durbars, rich gold embellishments, and majestic divine forms.

Folk and Tribal Art Forms

■ Mithila Painting

Mithila painting is a field dominated by female artists. It was developed in the Bihar. This style uses geometric patterns, double outlines, and natural dyes to paint nature goddess imagery and wedding scenes. It is also known as Madhubani Painting.

■ Warli Art

It was developed by the indigenous tribes of Maharashtra. Warli art utilizes basic geometric shapes (circles, triangles, and squares) painted in white paste over red ochre mud walls.

■ Pattachitra

A traditional cloth-based scroll painting system originated from Odisha and West Bengal. It is known for its intricate details and mythological narratives.

Modern and Fine Art Paintings

■ Bengal School of Art

Led by Abanindranath Tagore, this movement rebelled against Western styles to revive authentic Asian artistic methods.

Famous painters in India

Nandalal Bose is known as the father of Indian painting. Other famous painters of India include Abanindranath Tagore, Amrita Sher-Gil, Raja Ravi Varma, M.F. Husain and K.C.S. Panicker.

■  Abanindranath Tagore

'Bharat Mata' is a painting that played a crucial role in instilling patriotism among Indians . 'Bharat Mata' is a watercolor painting painted by Bengali artist Abanindranath Tagore during the Bengali independence movement. Abanindranath Tagore depicted Bharat Mata as the one who provides food, clothing, and knowledge to the people of India. Following this, paintings depicting Bharat Mata in various forms on the map of India became popular. Abanindranath Tagore founded the 'Indian Society of Oriental Art' in Kolkata to free Indian painting from Western influence and to promote oriental painting that is deeply rooted in Indian culture and national tradition. His other important paintings are Ganesh Janani, Buddha and Sujata, The End of Shah Jahan, The End of the Journey and Shah Jahan Dreaming of the Taj.

■  Nandalal Bose

Nandalal Bose used scenes from notable literary works and historical events in India as subjects for his paintings. His most notable painting is 'Sati'. It is a painting of a woman practicing sati, one of the evil customs prevalent in India. This touching picture helped to instill an attitude against such evil customs among Indians. Nandalal Bose's painting 'traditional village drummer' was exhibited at the Indian National Congress session held in Haripura in 1938 and was chosen as the poster for the Congress. The manuscript of the Constitution of India was decorated by painters led by Nandalal Bose. His famous paintings include Uma's Penance, Pranamam, Spring, Shiva Parvati, Gopini, etc.

■  Amrita Sher-Gil

Amrita Sher-Gil is a painter who has depicted the hardships of life in India's villages in dim colors. Her works depicting the life and culture of India have created a single image of India in the minds of Indians. Amrita Sher-Gil was born in Budapest, Hungary. Her oil painting 'Young Girls', painted when she was just nineteen, brought her recognition. The India that Amrita Sher-Gil discovered was bound by poverty, vastness, and the limitations of material conditions. A people who had to become victims of rituals. In Amrita Sher-Gil's painting 'Bharat Mata', a beggar and two children can be seen. The faces are filled with sadness. This painting is heartbreaking. Amrita Sher-Gil painted pictures with a national consciousness that reaches the point of emotion, intellectual indifference, and empathy.

■ M.F. Hussain

M.F. Hussain was born on 17 September 1915 in Pandharpur, Bombay as Maqbool Fida Hussain. He led the Bombay Progressive Artists Group, a movement based in Bombay. He is known as the Indian Picasso and the Barefoot Painter. His famous films include Mother Teresa, Horses, Language of Stone and Three Dynasties. Gajagamini, Through the Eyes of a Painter and Meenakshi: A Tale of Three Cities are films directed by M.F. Hussain. He has received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards and the Raja Ravi Varma Award, Kerala's highest honour for painting. He died in London on 9 June 2011 .