Modern Art Paintings

Different Painting Traditions in Modern India

Explore India's diverse modern and folk art forms, including Mithila, Warli, Gond, and other regional styles, and their significant contributions to cultural heritage.

• Painting Tradition

  

  

  • Mithila or Madhubani painting of Bihar
  • Warli painting of Maharashtra
  • Pithoro Painting of North Gujarat and western Madhya Pradesh
  • Pabuji ki Phad from Rajasthan
  • Pichhwai of Nathdwara in Rajasthan
  • Gond and Sawara Paintings of Madhya Pradesh
  • Pata Chitra of Odisha and Bengal

Mithila Paintings

• Mithila Painting
  • Derived from Mithila, the ancient Videha, and birthplace of Sita
  • Also known as Madhubani painting, named after the district capital
  • Women of this region have painted figures and designs for ceremonial occasions, especially weddings
  • Origin believed to date back to the time of Princess Sita’s marriage to Lord Rama
  • Paintings are characterized by bright colors and are found in three main areas of the house:
    • Central or outer courtyards
    • Eastern part of the house (dwelling place of Kuladevi)
    • Southern part of the house (significant images)

  

  • Common themes include gods, animals, and images of women at work
  • The kohbar ghar (inner room) features magnificent paintings with metaphoric and tantric connotations
  • Themes include episodes from Bhagvata Purana, Ramayana, Shiva-Parvati, Durga, Kali, and Rasa-Lila of Radha and Krishna
  • Nature elements like birds, flowers, and animals are used to fill empty spaces
  • Paintings often symbolize love, passion, fertility, eternity, well-being, and prosperity
  • Women traditionally use bamboo twigs as brushes and natural colors from mineral stones, organic materials like phalsa, kusum flowers, and turmeric

Warli Paintings

• Warli Painting

  

  • Originates from the Warli community of Northern Maharashtra
  • Married women are central in creating paintings called Chowk, which mark special occasions
  • Chowk paintings are associated with rituals of marriage, fertility, harvest, and sowing seasons
  • The central figure in these paintings is the mother goddess, Palaghat, symbolizing fertility and the corn goddess Kansari
  • Palaghat is surrounded by scenes of everyday life, including hunting, fishing, farming, and urban life
  • Paintings are done using rice flour on earthy walls of homes
  • Paintings serve to promote fertility, avert diseases, propitiate spirits, and fulfill the demands of ancestors
  • Bamboo sticks, chewed at the end, are used as paintbrushes

Gond Paintings

• Gond Painting
  • Gonds of Madhya Pradesh have a rich tradition, worshipping nature
  • Paintings depict animals, humans, and flora, often transformed into colorful representations
  • Votive paintings on the walls of huts depict scenes like Krishna with cows surrounded by gopis carrying pots

  

Pithoro Paintings

• Pithoro Painting

  

  • Originates from the Rathva Bhils of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
  • Large wall paintings created for special or thanksgiving occasions
  • Paintings feature rows of horse-rider deities representing cosmography
  • The upper section represents gods, heavenly bodies, and mythical creatures
  • The lower section depicts a wedding procession and earthly scenes, including deities, kings, animals, and farmers

Pata Paintings

• Pata Painting

  

  • Common in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, and West Bengal
  • Also known as Pata, Pachedi, Phad, etc.
  • Bengal patas are painted on cloth and used for storytelling
  • Patuas (performers) travel villages, displaying paintings and narrating stories
  • Puri patas from Odisha depict themes such as festival attires and episodes from the myths of Jagannath

  

• Patachitras
  • Patachitras are done on small strips of cotton cloth, prepared by coating the cloth with soft white stone powder and glue made from tamarind seeds.
  • The borders are made first, followed by a direct sketch of the figures with a brush and the application of flat colors.
  • Colors commonly used include white, black, yellow, and red. After completion, the painting is held over a charcoal fire, and lacquer is applied to make it water-resistant and add sheen.
  • The colors are organic and locally sourced, such as:
    • Black: obtained from lamp black
    • Yellow: from haritali stone
    • Red: from hingal stone
    • White: from powdered conch shells

Palm Manuscripts

• Palm Manuscripts
  • Palm manuscripts are illustrated on a variety of palm called Khar-taad.
  • The paintings are not made with a brush but are incised with a steel stylus and then filled with ink, sometimes tinted with paint.
  • These manuscripts often have accompanying text. There is a debate whether the palm leaf tradition is considered folk or sophisticated art due to its historical and stylistic connections to other regional traditions.

Phads

• Phads of Rajasthan
  • Phads are long, horizontal cloth scrolls painted to honor folk deities of pastoral communities around Bhilwara, Rajasthan.
  • These communities are focused on safeguarding livestock, reflected in their myths, legends, and worship patterns.
  • The phads honor hero-deities, called bhomias, who sacrificed their lives protecting livestock from robbers. Notable bhomias include Gogaji, Jejaji, Dev Narayan, Ramdevji, and Pabhuji.
  • The phads are carried by bhopas (itinerant bards) who narrate tales and sing devotional songs during night-long performances. A lamp is used to illuminate the images on the phad during storytelling.
  • Phads are traditionally painted by the Joshis, a caste of painters who have worked in the courts of Rajasthan kings, specializing in miniature paintings.

Dhokra Casting

• Sculptural Traditions
  • Sculptural traditions in India include the making of sculptures in clay (terracotta), metal, and stone, which vary by region and purpose.
  • Dhokra Casting

    

    

    • Dhokra, or metal sculptures, use the lost wax method and are popular in Bastar (Chhattisgarh), parts of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.
    • The craftsmen of Bastar, called 'ghadwas,' create decorative objects, votive offerings, and icons using this technique.
    • The process involves creating a core figure or mold from black soil and rice husk, covering it with layers of clay and cow dung, and heating it to melt metal (usually bronze) that is poured into the mold.
    • The molds are then cooled, and the metal figure is revealed once the clay is hammered away.

    

    

  • Terracotta

    

    

    • Terracotta sculptures are made across India, from local clay found in riverbanks and ponds, and are used in rituals and festivals.
    • They are often modeled by hand or on a potter’s wheel and can be decorated with colors. Forms commonly include images of gods, goddesses, animals, birds, and insects.
    • Terracotta sculptures are particularly popular in Manipur, Assam, Kuchchha, Tamil Nadu, and other regions, each with its unique style and cultural significance.