There
are two distinct strands of painting in India. One is rooted in
religious traditions and nurtured by the patronage of the rich and
royal, and done mostly by men. The other is rooted in everyday life and
folk tradition, and done mostly by women. To the former belong the
Buddhist frescoes on the walls of the Ajanta caves in Maharashtra, the
miniature paintings of the Mughal court, and the different school of
Rajasthani painting. The style of Ajanta paintings is truly indigenous
and was revived in the early 20th century by Nandalal Bose in
Santiniketan, West Bengal. Although Persian-inspired, Mughal and
Rajasthani miniatures too are part and parcel of Indian painting of the
former genre. Of the latter genre, the most famous are the Madhubani and
Mithila paintings of Bihar, the Worli paintings of Maharashtra, the
Mandana paintings of Rajasthan, which are basically wall and floor
paintings.
Painting done not for art's sake
but as a daily religious ritual include geometric and floral patterns on
the floor by the womenfolk called kolam in the south of India, rangoli
in Maharashtra, alpona in Bengal, aripana in Bihar and so on. Painting
on cloth is exemplified by Kalamkari work of Kalahasti and
Masulipatnamin Andhra Pradesh, and phad painting of Rajasthan. Quite
unique is Tanjavur paintings embellished with gold leaf and
semi-precious stones, which were originally commissioned by Maratha
kings of the 18th century.
The Indian paintings have now acquired a stature of their own. They use
materials and techniques from all over the world but express Indian
realities and Indian experiences. The respect for tradition and the
ability to transcend it at the same time is clearly evident in Indian
art of today. This is the essence of what has been described as the
eclecticism of the Indian contemporary expression.
Today there are Painting Exhibitions held in all over the country in
big cities like Kolkatta,
Mumbai,
Delhi,
Agra.
