{"id":3001,"date":"2026-01-04T16:59:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T11:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=3001"},"modified":"2026-01-05T11:22:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T05:52:17","slug":"indian-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/indian-paintings\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian Paintings, History, Names, Types, Famous Paintings List"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Painting as an art form has flourished in India since\u00a0<strong>prehistoric times<\/strong>, as evident from the remains recovered in caves and other literary sources. Indian paintings are primarily classified as\u00a0<strong>murals\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>miniatures<\/strong>. Murals are large works executed on walls and ceilings whereas; miniature paintings are executed on books, paper and cloth.<\/p>\r\n<p>Indian painting is the outcome of a fusion of diverse traditions, and its evolution is an ongoing process. Despite adapting to new trends, Indian painting has retained its distinct character.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Shadangas of Indian Art (Six Limbs)<\/h2>\r\n<p>India has an astonishingly rich variety of painting traditions. The word Shadanga means one of the rules of the art of painting written in the ancient period.\u00a0<strong>Shadanga or six principles\u00a0<\/strong>explicates the theory of traditional Indian painting.<\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Shadanga or Six Principles of Indian Art<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Rupa-bheda (secrets of the form)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Roopa refers to a subject's\u00a0<strong>outer form or look.<\/strong>\u00a0Bheda, on the other hand, refers to distinction.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Roopbheda allows an artist to see and depict things exactly as they appear.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Pramanani (proportion)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- Pramamani teaches subjects accurate measurements, proportions, and distances.<\/p>\r\n<p>- It also provides insight into the<strong>\u00a0subjects' structural anatomy.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Bhava (emotional disposition)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- BHAVA means an\u00a0<strong>emotion<\/strong>. This facet of art is represented in the form of feelings expressed by the subject.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Bhava offers the painting much-needed movement.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lavanya-yojanam (gracefulness in composition)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>- It enhances the beauty and grace of artefacts. Rabindranath Tagore has elaborated on the\u00a0<strong>Lavanya Yojnam<\/strong>\u00a0in his \"Six Limbs of Indian Painting.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Sadrisyam (similitude)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>- It indicates the degree to which a depiction resembles an artist's vision or the subject itself. In certain ways, it represents similitude.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Varnika-bhanga (colour differentiation)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>- It means the use of colour in artistic style to create an\u00a0<strong>aesthetic sense.<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2>Prehistoric Paintings<\/h2>\r\n<p>The earliest known paintings in India date back to the\u00a0<strong>Upper Palaeolithic period<\/strong>. The history of art and painting in India begins with prehistoric rock paintings at\u00a0<strong>Bhimbetka caves\u00a0<\/strong>(M.P.).<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Bhimbetka's rock art has been divided into several categories based on style, technique, and\u00a0<strong>superimposition<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/bhimbetka_paintings_c1760e9c91.webp\" alt=\"bhimbetka-paintings.webp\" \/><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>rock shelters<\/strong>\u00a0on the banks of the River Suyal at\u00a0<strong>Lakhudiyar\u00a0<\/strong>bear another prehistoric painting.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/lakhudiyar_paintings_36c580dac9.webp\" alt=\"Lakhudiyar Paintings\" \/><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The richest paintings have been reported from the\u00a0<strong>Vindhya ranges of Madhya Pradesh\u00a0<\/strong>and their expansion to the Kaimur range.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Prehistoric Paintings<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Upper\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Paleolithic Period<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/upper_paleolithic_period_paintings_b9be9b040f.webp\" alt=\"upper-paleolithic-period-paintings.webp\" \/><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>- Linear representations, in green and dark red, of huge animal figures, such as bison, elephants, etc. besides stick-like human figures.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Mesolithic Period<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/mesolithic_period_paintings_ede8cff3f7.webp\" alt=\"mesolithic-period-paintings.webp\" \/><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>- During this phase, the themes expanded, but the paintings got smaller in size. Hunting scenes predominated.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Animals such as elephants, bison, tigers, boar, deer, etc, and at times birds were also depicted.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Animals were painted in a naturalistic approach, whereas humans were simply shown stylistically.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Community dances provided a common theme.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Chalcolithic Period<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/chalcolithic_period_paintings_14c45efde0.webp\" alt=\"chalcolithic-period-paintings.webp\" \/><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-\u00a0<strong>Chalcolithic ceramics<\/strong>\u00a0and rock paintings bear common motifs, e.g., cross-hatched squares, and lattices.<\/p>\r\n<p>- Pottery and metal tools were also shown.<\/p>\r\n<p>- The artists of\u00a0<strong>Bhimbetka\u00a0<\/strong>used many colours such as shades of white, yellow, orange, red ochre, purple, brown, green, and black.<\/p>\r\n<p>- The artisans painted the walls and ceilings of the rock shelters.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2>Mural Painting Tradition<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Mural painting<\/strong>, known as\u00a0<strong>Bhittichitra<\/strong>\u00a0in Indian texts, is a distinguished form of artistry applied to walls and ceilings, particularly within\u00a0<strong>rock-cut architecture<\/strong>\u00a0(caves) and structural temples. The story of Indian murals starts around the second century BCE and spread across India. Examples of mural painting are<strong>\u00a0Ajanta<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Ellora<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Bagh\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>Sittanavasal\u00a0<\/strong>in the early mural tradition, continued by Chalukyan of Badami, Pallvas, Cholas and Vijayanagara empires later.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Ajanta Paintings:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The Ajanta murals, which date from the\u00a0<strong>2nd century BCE\u00a0<\/strong>to the\u00a0<strong>7th century CE<\/strong>, were patronised by the<strong>\u00a0Satavahanas, Vakatakas, and Guptas.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>These paintings are renowned for their imaginative creation of figures by the artists.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Ajanta is home to\u00a0<strong>29 caves<\/strong>, including unfinished ones.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The most famous murals of the Ajanta caves are the paintings of\u00a0<strong>Padmapani\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>Vajrapani\u00a0<\/strong>bodhisattvas and of\u00a0<strong>Mahajanaka\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>Umaga\u00a0<\/strong>Jatakas.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The influence of the Ajanta style extended through South India and even reached Sri Lanka, persisting until the 10th century CE.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/ajanta_paintings_939e26cd97.webp\" alt=\"ajanta-paintings.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Ellora caves:\u00a0<\/strong>34 monasteries and temples were constructed between the 5th and 10th centuries and dedicated to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Mural paintings are preserved only in the Kailasa Temple.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Some of the examples of paintings are of\u00a0<strong>Vishnu and Lakshmi with Garuda, flying Apsaras, Saiva holy men<\/strong>, etc.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Bagh Caves:\u00a0<\/strong>Situated\u00a0<strong>97 km from Madhya Pradesh\u2019s Dhar district,\u00a0<\/strong>the Bagh caves feature Buddhist murals carved during the\u00a0<strong>Satavahana period.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Badami caves:<\/strong>\u00a0The 6th-century Vishnu cave in Badami, Karnataka, showcases remnants of murals on its vaulted front\u00a0<strong>mandapa<\/strong>\u00a0(pavilion).\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>These paintings, depicting palace scenes, signify the continuation of the mural tradition from to South India.<strong>Ajanta\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Pallava Paintings:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Pallavas continued the\u00a0<strong>Ajanta tradition<\/strong>\u00a0in technique, use of materials, and treatment of figures in their paintings.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Example: Jaina paintings-cave temple Sittanavasal in Tamilnadu.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/pallava_paintings_dcac8346ee.webp\" alt=\"pallava-paintings.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Rashtrakuta:\u00a0<\/strong>The paintings at\u00a0<strong>Ellora\u00a0<\/strong>cover the ceilings and walls of the mandapas, representing various themes of Shiva Purana.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Special features:\u00a0<\/strong>The peculiar placement of the eyes and the angular nose became the artistic element of\u00a0<strong>Jain manuscript\u00a0<\/strong>paintings in the 12th century CE.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>This is the last example of the paintings done in the\u00a0<strong>Ajanta style of mural painting.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/chola_paintings_7338d06fd1.webp\" alt=\"chola-paintings.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Cholas:\u00a0<\/strong>There are fragments of early Chola paintings in Narthamalai, Malayadipatti, and other places.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Example:<\/strong>\u00a0Brihadisvara temple at Tanjore. There are two layers of paintings on the walls exhibiting a style of\u00a0<strong>South Indian tradition of painting.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Vijayanagar Paintings:\u00a0<\/strong>Their style of painting was a continuation of the earlier Chola and Pandyan traditions.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Example:<\/strong>\u00a0Virupaksha temple at Hampi. The murals depict the procession of the sage Vidyaranya. The paintings of\u00a0<strong>Tripurantaka<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Narasimha<\/strong>, and the scene of\u00a0<strong>Girija Kalyana<\/strong>\u00a0are other remarkable panels.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/vijayanagar_paintings_19d4608750.webp\" alt=\"vijayanagar-paintings.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Nayaka Paintings:\u00a0<\/strong>Nayaka rulers at\u00a0<strong>Madurai\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>Tanjore\u00a0<\/strong>continued the tradition of Vijayanagar in every way.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Their paintings are seen at\u00a0<strong>Tanjore<\/strong>, Tenkasi, and Perur, and exhibit elaboration in costume, ornamentation, and addition of\u00a0<strong>sculptural details.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/nayaka_paintings_9008b376ce.webp\" alt=\"nayaka-paintings.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Cheras\u2019 paintings:\u00a0<\/strong>The interiors of the temples and palaces are covered with colourful\u00a0<strong>murals\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>wood carvings.<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>These paintings influence the\u00a0<strong>Vijayanagar\u00a0<\/strong>tradition combined with vibrant expression.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Example:<\/strong>\u00a0Paintings at Padmanabhaswamy Temple at Trivandrum and Vadakkunatha Temple at Thrissur.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/chera_paintings_45a78a2bec.webp\" alt=\"chera-paintings.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Mysore Paintings:<\/strong>\u00a0The murals in and around\u00a0<strong>Mysore\u00a0<\/strong>are the last phase in the history of mural paintings in India.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The largest mural paintings depict the<strong>\u00a0Mysore war<\/strong>\u00a0between the\u00a0<strong>Tipu Sultan\u00a0<\/strong>and the\u00a0<strong>British<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/mysore_paintings_70c85e6404.webp\" alt=\"mysore-paintings.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<h2>Miniature Paintings<\/h2>\r\n<p>The\u00a0<strong>miniature paintings<\/strong>\u00a0have their origin in the illustrated manuscript painting tradition. They resemble the Ajanta style but on a miniature scale.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Pala miniature:<\/strong>\u00a0In India, the miniature paintings emerged during the\u00a0<strong>Pala period\u00a0<\/strong>(8th- 12th century).\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Illustrated manuscripts on the palm leaves have been found in\u00a0<strong>Nalanda<\/strong>, Kurkihar (Gaya), etc.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Persian Influence:<\/strong>\u00a0In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries,\u00a0<strong>illustrated manuscripts\u00a0<\/strong>with Persian influences were created in Malwa, Bengal, Delhi, Jaunpur, Gujarat, and the Deccan.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The connection of Indian artists with Persian traditions led to the\u00a0<strong>fusion of the two styles<\/strong>, as seen in the paintings of the\u00a0<strong>sixteenth century.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/miniature_with_persian_influence_b263c65752.webp\" alt=\"miniature-with-persian-influence.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Mughals<\/strong><strong>: Akbar\u00a0<\/strong>and his successors made dramatic improvements in painting and sensual illustrations. Individual miniatures began to take over wall painting around this time. For the first time,\u00a0<strong>inscriptions\u00a0<\/strong>included the names of the painters.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Some great painters of this period were\u00a0<strong>Abd-us-Samad Dasawanth\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>Basawan.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>The art of painting\u00a0<strong>reached its climax<\/strong>\u00a0during the period of\u00a0<strong>Jahangir<\/strong>. Artists began to use vibrant colours and were able to give three-dimensional effects to paintings.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/mughal_painting_dc4a443340.webp\" alt=\"Mughal Painting\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Regional Schools of Miniature Paintings:\u00a0<\/strong>The lack of royal patronage for painting under Aurangzeb resulted in the spread of artists throughout the country.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>This helped in the development of distinct schools of painting such as Rajasthani and Pahari schools.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Major Schools of Miniature Paintings<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Mughal School\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/mughal_school_5ae0499b1b.webp\" alt=\"mughal-school.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p><strong>Mughal painting<\/strong>\u00a0developed in the\u00a0<strong>northern Indian\u00a0<\/strong>subcontinent in the 16th to mid-19th century. It is known for its sophisticated techniques and a diverse range of subjects and themes.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Rajasthani School\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/rajasthani_school_47a07d4ede.webp\" alt=\"rajasthani-school.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p>Early Rajasthani paintings come from Malwa, Jaunpur, and Mewar between the 16th and early 19th centuries.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Pahari School<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/pahari_school_92a5cccf86.webp\" alt=\"pahari-school.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p>Pahari Schools of Painting includes towns, such as Basohli, Guler, and others in the hills of the\u00a0<strong>western Himalayas<\/strong>, which emerged as centres of painting from the 17th-19th century.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Deccani School<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/deccani_school_d9c70f7214.webp\" alt=\"deccani-school.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p>The Deccani school is an offshoot of the\u00a0<strong>Mughal miniature school.\u00a0<\/strong>Early Deccan paintings are influenced by Ellora murals, Mewar, and Malwa miniature traditions.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2>Folk Paintings<\/h2>\r\n<p>Folk painting traditions originate in specific regions formed by geography and climate. These traditions are shaped by distinct regional cultures.<\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Folk Paintings<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Madhubani painting<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/mithila_painting_cf2315954c.webp\" alt=\"mithila-painting.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p><strong>Madhubani painting\u00a0<\/strong>(Mithila folk art) is the traditional art of the Mithila region of\u00a0<strong>Bihar<\/strong>. They are made by village women who create\u00a0<strong>3-D images<\/strong>\u00a0with vegetable hues and a few earthen pigments.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Kalamkari Painting<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/kalamkari_painting_e55e1a86f5.webp\" alt=\"kalamkari-painting.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p>Kalamkari is a painting done by\u00a0<strong>Kalam\u00a0<\/strong>(pen). These paintings are made in\u00a0<strong>Andhra Pradesh<\/strong>. It is hand-painted and\u00a0<strong>block-printed\u00a0<\/strong>with vegetable dyes applied on cloth.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Patachitra Painting<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/patachitra_painting_b16b3e4f0a.webp\" alt=\"patachitra-painting.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p>The Patachitra is the traditional painting of Odisha dedicated to\u00a0<strong>Lord Jagannath of Puri<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Kalighat Painting<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/kalighat_painting_dd8d019feb.webp\" alt=\"kalighat-painting.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p>Kalighat painting is done with watercolour on\u00a0<strong>mill-made pape<\/strong>r primarily by scroll painters-cum-potters who had migrated from\u00a0<strong>Bengal\u00a0<\/strong>to the city of Kolkata.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Phad painting<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/phad_painting_0cbef00a07.webp\" alt=\"phad-painting.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p>It is practised primarily in certain villages of\u00a0<strong>Rajasthan\u00a0<\/strong>by members of the Joshi clan of the Chhipa caste and narrates the deeds of regional hero gods.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Thangka Paintings<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/thangka_painting_25526a3b77.webp\" alt=\"thangka-painting.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p>This\u00a0<strong>Tibetan\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Buddhist<\/strong><strong>\u00a0painting<\/strong>\u00a0usually depicts a Buddhist deity or stories on cotton or silk. It is prevalent in Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h3>Tribal Paintings<\/h3>\r\n<p>The simplest art in any tribal society is that of\u00a0<strong>wall painting.<\/strong>\u00a0They depict the simple beliefs of the community and provide information about myths, religious beliefs, local heroes, epics, customs and rituals.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>These paintings are done to invoke the divine blessings for fertile soil, healthy offspring protection from evil forces etc.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Tribes notable for their paintings include the\u00a0<strong>Bhils, Gonds, Murias, Sauras, Warlis, and Rathwas.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Some of the tribal paintings are Pithora,\u00a0<strong>Warli<\/strong>, Santhal and Saura.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/warli_painting_9282ce2fef.webp\" alt=\"warli-painting.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/pithora_painting_cbd7c0e55b.webp\" alt=\"pithora-painting.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<h2>Rise of Modern Paintings<\/h2>\r\n<p>In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, paintings comprised semi-westernised local styles that were patronised by British residents and visitors.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Themes:<\/strong>\u00a0Themes were primarily inspired by Indian social life, prominent festivals, and\u00a0<strong>Mughal architecture<\/strong>. These exemplified the impromptu Mughal traditions.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Examples:\u00a0<\/strong>Examples of exceptional paintings from this period include\u00a0<strong>Shaikh Zia-ud-Din's\u00a0<\/strong>bird studies for Lady Impey and\u00a0<strong>Ghulam Ali Khan's<\/strong>\u00a0portraits of William Fraser and Colonel Skinner.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>In major Indian cities like Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras,\u00a0<strong>European-style art schools<\/strong>\u00a0were introduced in the late nineteenth century.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Oil paintings of Raja Ravi Varma of Travancore<\/strong>\u00a0depicting mythological and social themes became highly popular at this time.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/raja_ravi_verma_s_painting_7b13c8968d.webp\" alt=\"raja-ravi-verma\u2019s-painting.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Bengal School of Art:\u00a0<\/strong>At the beginning of the 20th Century, the artists of Bengal under the leadership of\u00a0<strong>Rabindranath Tagore<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Nandalal Bose<\/strong>\u00a0protested against the British by refusing to paint in\u00a0<strong>Western style.<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Instead, they visited\u00a0<strong>Ajanta\u00a0<\/strong>and explored the possibilities of painting in an Indian way by using natural, powder colours.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The woman artist\u00a0<strong>Amrita Sher Gill\u00a0<\/strong>and the Noble Laureate Rabindranath Tagore gave an insight into the universality of Indian art.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/bengal_school_of_art_26211c3f0d.webp\" alt=\"Bengal School of Art\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>In 1943,\u00a0<strong>Calcutta painters<\/strong>\u00a0led by Paritosh Sen, Niroda Majumdar and Pradosh Dasgupta formed a group that depicted the condition of the people of India through new visual language, and novel techniques.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Progressive Artists Group in Bombay: In 1948, the\u00a0<\/strong>Progressive Artists Group in Bombay was formed under\u00a0<strong>Francis Newton Souza.<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>This group broke out from the Bengal School of Art and symbolises the modern forceful\u00a0<strong>art of independent India.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/progressive_artists_group_in_bombay_afff0de4dd.webp\" alt=\"progressive-artists-group-in-bombay.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>In the 1970s, artists' daily interactions with\u00a0<strong>poverty\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>corruption<\/strong>, the country's political quagmire, explosive community tension, and other issues became their themes.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Madras School of Art\u00a0<\/strong>under Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury and K.C.S Paniker emerged as an important art centre in the\u00a0<strong>post-independence period<\/strong>\u00a0and influenced a new generation of modern artists.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/madras_school_of_art_23e4cc541a.webp\" alt=\"Madras School of Art\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Modern Indian artists:\u00a0<\/strong>Tyeb Mehta, Satish Gujral, Krishan Khanna, Manjit Bawa, K.G. Subramaniyan Ram Kumari, Anjolie Ela Menon, Akbar Padamsee, Jatin Das, Jehangir Sabavala and A. Ramachandran.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/paintings_by_tyab_mehta_c2ffde7a17.webp\" alt=\"paintings-by-tyab-mehta.webp\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<h2>Indian Paintings UPSC PYQs<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Question 1:\u00a0<\/strong>The painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani is one of the most famous and oft-illustrated paintings at:\u00a0<strong>(UPSC Prelims 2017)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Ajanta<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Badami<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Bagh<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Ellora<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><strong>Answer: (a)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Question 2:\u00a0<\/strong>Kalamkari painting refers to\u00a0<strong>(UPSC Prelims 2015)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>(a) a hand-painted cotton textile in South India<\/p>\r\n<p>(b) a handmade drawing on bamboo handicrafts in North-East India<\/p>\r\n<p>(c) a block-painted woollen cloth in Western Himalayan region of India<\/p>\r\n<p>(d) a hand-painted decorative silk cloth in North-Western India<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Answer: (a)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Question 3: Consider the following historical places:\u00a0<strong>(UPSC Prelims 2013)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Ajanta Caves<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Lepakshi Temple<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Sanchi Stupa<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p>Which of the above places is\/are also known for mural paintings?<\/p>\r\n<p>(a) 1 only<\/p>\r\n<p>(b) 1 and 2 only<\/p>\r\n<p>(c) 1, 2 and 3<\/p>\r\n<p>(d) None<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Answer: (b)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Question 4:\u00a0<\/strong>Mesolithic rock cut architecture of India not only reflects the cultural life of the times but also a fine aesthetic sense comparable to modern painting. Critically evaluate this comment.[200 Words]<strong>\u00a0(UPSC Mains 2015)<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The history of painting in India begins with prehistoric rock painting at Bhimbetka caves. Indian paintings can be classified as Rock shelter paintings, murals and miniatures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":3002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[167,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-3001","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-notes","8":"tag-indian-paintings","9":"tag-quest"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3001"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19693,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3001\/revisions\/19693"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}