Implications of Rajput Portraiture - Essay Example

The Development and Implications of Rajput Portraiture Introduction To different scholars are of different opinions as to what painting styles represent the true Indian Culture; some Western specialists neglect the scholarship of Rajput painting, whereas others like the nationalistic Ananda K. Coomarawasmy declare Rajput painting as the ‘true’ depiction of Indian culture. Mughal and Rajput paintings were very small in size; however, despite their miniature size, their technical quality and aesthetic were of very high standards. The Mughals were an imperial family, direct descendants of Genghis Khan and the Amir, two of the world’s greatest conquerors. They ruled in India from the 15th through the 17th Century and partly in the 18th Century. The development of Rajput portraiture led to a major shift in style of art in terms detail, colour, portrait depth, margins, religion, political, and social aspects, as compared to what the Mughals had established during their reign. Discussion The painting in Hindu courts are more closely associated with the Rajputs, whereas those in the Indo-Islamic courts are closely linked with the Mughals. Rajput courts consisted of various themes such as those of religion, philosophy, famous rulers and court women; Mughal courts, on the other hand, portrayed secular themes. The Hindu paintings are what is referred to as Rajput and are named after Rajputana and the Hill Rajpput of the Punjab, whereas Mughal painting is closely connected to Islamic art. The Rajput paintings were a representative of religion and they were characterized by mysticism. Although Rajput art seemed to share a religious perspective with Buddhist art, what set Rajput apart was that it also reflected the faith and traditions of ordinary people. On the other hand, Mughal painting was sophisticated, diverse with characteristics of realism. The rise of Mughal painting was greatly influenced by Persian, Indian, Islamic, and to some extent, European art. With these characteristics, Mughal Art became something unique that constituted the Mughal Courts (Ananda 316). Rajput painting, alternatively known as Rajasthani painting, is a miniature style of art that is closely linked with the royal courts of the Rajputs (16th to 19th Centuries), the independent Hindu states in northern and western India. Though it followed the Western Indian style of manuscript illustration, it was greatly influenced by Mughal painting. The miniature style of art employed during the reign of Akbar (famous ruler and Mughal advocate, 1556-1605) characterized most of the paintings in the Rajput court. The influence of Mughal painting varied from one Rajput court to another. Both styles paid keen attention to detailing jewels and drapes; the main intention was to exhibit beauty at its best (Ananda 317). Akbar was interested in Hinduism and other religions for personal and political reasons, which enabled him to pick up a few elements of art from Hindu paintings. Most of his ateliers also consisted of Indian artists, therefore, this mixed style of art was influential to the Rajput schools that came later on. The subtle inclusion of Indian styles in Mughal paintings proved that Akbar was knowledgeable in Hinduism, which could have been fueled by his determination to unite both the Muslim and Hindi communities. However, one way to tell between a Mughal and a Rajput painting is the script in the paintings; Rajput painting had Indian calligraphies while Mughal paintings portrayed local traditions in their pictorial design. Mughal paintings took the form of miniatures in manuscripts or on separate sheets adjoined in an album (Ananda 316). Rajput art can also be found on the walls of Rajput forts, palaces and havelis (mansions). In the early era of Rajput painting, the art strictly concentrated on the deeds and life of Krishna, the Hindu cowherd god. Figure 1 is a painting by Nihal Chand shows Krishna and Radha in a pavilion; the painting is colourful, the drapes are detailed, and the figures are flat faced, which were characteristics of Rajput portraiture. Rajput paintings contained popular themes such as: court and hunting scenes; the Ramayana and the Mahabharata; women, lovers and romance; and pictorial representations of musical modes (ragamala). The colours used in Rajput art works were extracted from plants, minerals, beetle wings, conch shells, and even precious stones such as gold and silver. To achieve the miniature art, the brushes used in Rajput paintings were very fine so to make the small illustrations that characterize Rajput art. Rajput paintings can be divided into two subdivisions; the Rajasthani style (from the Rajput courts in Rajasthan), and the Pahari style (from the Rajput courts of the Himalayan foothills) (Ananda 317). Figure 1. Krishna and Radha in a pavilion The Rajasthani Style The Rajasthani style emerged in the last years of the 16th century; its themes are reliant on the various schools of Rajasthani art, the Mewar, the Marwar, the Hadoti and the Dhundar schools. The Rajasthani styles were characterized by various elements; the Mewar School portrays simplicity and vivid colours as shown in Figure 2; Marwar School portrays miniature, colourful and highly stylized paintings as shown in Figure 3; the Hadoti School portrays movement, vitality and strength; and the Dhundar School is characterized by very large paintings of Krishna and formal, but rich paintings. Figure two is a Mewar painting by Chokha; it is a water on paper painting of Krishna and his fellow cowherds bringing cows home. Figure 2 portrays the simplicity in the Mewar School of art due to its vividness and lack of intricate details Figure 2 Krishna and his fellow Cowherds (1813) Figure 3 Bani Thani –Marwar (18th C) The Pahari Style The Pahari style entailed book illustration and miniature painting developed in the Himalayan foothills (17th to 18th Century); its themes are reliant on the Kangra School and the Basohli School. The Kangra School is a mid-18th Century style that developed as a result of the decline of the Basohli style; Figure 4 clearly depicts the use of curving lines and delicate lyricism that characterizes Kangra art. The Basohli School was a 17th Century style that taught about the bold use of colour, stylized facial types with prominent eyes, intense emotionality, and distinctive depictions of jewelry. Figure 5 is a 1730 AD Basohli painting that clearly shows the bold use of colour, the emphasis on jewelry and the prominence of the eyes. Pahari painting revolved around Radha and Krishna, the beauty of the damsel, the ecstasy, and bliss infused in the artist’s heart. Figure 4 Krishna with flute. (1790) Figure 5 Radha and Krishna in Discussion Rajput paintings were rarely signed as compared to Mughal paintings; this is because Rajput painters were one with the people, their art was for the people. Mughal painters, on the other hand, were noble, they painted for their masters, who signed the paintings and gave generous rewards for exceptional paintings. Unlike the Mughal paintings which were bound in an album, Rajput paintings were piled up, wrapped in cloth and ribboned to be stored in a library for viewing in special occasions. Unlike Mughal paintings which were drawn vertically, Rajput paintings were drawn horizontally. Mughals had one court and they all spoke Persian, however, the Rajputs had many courts and they spoke Hindi (Vishakha 371). Mughal paintings paid much attention to exquisite detail and finesse, they had a three dimensional feel with their high viewpoints that looked down at the object or scene that was being illustrated. Figure 6 shows the exquisite detail and epic story of Akbar riding Hawa’l (an elephant) while pursuing another elephant across a collapsing bridge of boats. The painting shows that Mughal portraiture was not flat faced and two dimensional like most of the Rajput paintings, rather, it employed more than one perspective (Vishakha 370). Figure 6. Mughal painting. (1561) Rajput paintings were two dimensional, flat, they lacked depth and the figures had a black outline. This style sets Rajput artists apart from the previous painters since it seemed that Rajput painters only painted what was in front of them. Mughal painters did not employ a single point of perspective, they also used a wide variety of colours as opposed to Rajput portraiture (see Figure 6). Rajput portraiture entailed bold colours such as red, green and yellow, which resulted in a solid and colourful painting (see Figure 1 and 5). Mughal paintings had an epical narrative of Indian, Persian, and Islamic stories and folktale such as Hamzanama that was championed for by Akbar. On the contrary, the Rajputs were far more interested in religious narratives, such as Ramayana. It is evident that the Rajputs have a high sense of belief and love for their gods based on their religious oriented portraiture (Richards 183). Rajput paintings also contain various epical stories in one painting; this makes the eyes of the viewer to wonder while trying to perceive the many stories in the paintings. In the first half of the 17th Century, portraiture was a major theme in Mughal painting; artists created paintings that stood out in terms of naturalistic rendering of individuals in terms of age, social status, ethnicity, psychology and state of mind. The development of Rajput portraiture led to the transition of what was myth to man; Rajput portraiture was depicted in terms of recognizable faces as opposed to the stylized forms that characterized Mughal portraiture. Portrait iconographies and conventions changed to accommodate the changing political relationships. The transition from Mughal to Rajput portraiture led to the shift of style from naturalistic, realistic, and detailed works to simplified procedures of expression, luminous and bright color schemes, time-honored motifs, and decorativeness (Vishakha 372). Rajput portraiture relayed emotions and lyricism as opposed to the intellectual aesthetic that was present in Mughal portraiture. During Akbar’s reign, every ethnic group in India and its territories was under the Sovereign rule of the kingship. According to Richardson (p. 183-4), neither religion nor material possessions were above Akbar; he strengthened his control over a divided people and ensured the artistic innovations followed the Islamic concepts of kingship. Akbar’s reign ensured that the leader was responsible for outer, inner, material and spiritual realms in such a way that artists were strictly answerable to him in terms of what and where they painted. The Islamic conception of kingship saw the leader as the deputy to God on earth, thereby giving him the power to act as spiritual leader despite his physical sovereignty over his empire. Rajput portraiture of the king was not one of likeness (real representation), but rather, how the king wanted to be seen. Akbar, therefore, had the power to control Mughal portraiture through the synthesis of art across his empire, however, the development of Rajput portraiture necessitated a change in cultural and spiritual beliefs from Islamic to Hinduism; this also meant that the Islamic conceptions of kingship and the subjects had to change, the artists were no longer a part of nobility, they lived among the people and were rarely recognized as was the case with most Mughal artists (Beach 15). The style of art changed from a complex, three dimensional and sophisticated style of art to a medieval, primitive, and symbolic style aimed at causing immediate emotions. The scenes in the Rajput portraiture became flat and minimal to heighten the pictorial impact, the gestures are conventionalized and dramatized, outlines became heavy and the colour became intense. Rajput portraiture put more emphasis on the symbolic nature of the scene as opposed to the visual reality that was employed in the Mughal paintings; this emphasis gave birth to a more abstract and poetic oriented style of art. Figure 7, extracted from the 18th Century Bihari Satasai series in Mewar typifies the notions stated above (Richardson 188). Figure 7 portrays hot reds, heavy outlines, strong use of yellow and red, and a decorative suggestions of foliage through-out the three scenes. Instead of portraying linear events, Rajput portraiture depicts a series of events in one frame as evident in figure 7. Conclusion The development of Rajput portraiture led to a major transition in style of art in terms detail, colour, portrait depth, margins, religion, political, and social aspects, as compared to what the Mughals had established during their reign. Rajput portraiture can be said to have picked up certain elements of Mughal due to the miniature and high quality aesthetics employed in the figures; Akbar’s study of religions across India helped him gather certain elements of Hinduism that were mostly portrayed in text such as Mahabharata and the Ramayana, and sometimes in the Mughal paintings. Akbar played an important part in the history of Indian painting since he tried his best to get the best out of his artists and ateliers while still maintaining his Islamic conception of Kingship. Despite the influence of Mughal paintings on Rajput portraiture, the development in Rajput portraiture in the 17th and 18th Centuries resulted in major reinterpretations of ideas of kingship and subjects. Rajput paintings were more primitive, flat faced, used bold colours such as red, yellow and green; their scenes depicted a religious culture that paid homage to Vishnu, Krishna and Radha with certain elements of romanticism and love. The idea of the king being sovereign in terms of material possessions and spiritually changed at the taboo of spirituality in portraiture was lifted in the Rajput era. The Rajput courts, therefore contained epic narratives and stories that made an immediate impact on the viewer as compared to the detailed Mughal paintings of the late 16th century and early 17th century. Works Cited Beach, Milo Cleveland. "The Context of Rajput Painting." Ars Orientalis 10 (1975): 11-17. Print. Coomaraswamy, Ananda K. "Rajput Paintings." The Burlington Magazine 1 Mar. 1912: 314-325. The Burlington Magazine Publications. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. Desai, Vishakha N. "Painting and Politics in Seventeenth-Century North India: Mewār, Bikāner, and the Mughal Court." Art Journal 49.4 (1990): 370-378. College Art Association. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. Dye, Joseph. M. III. The Arts of India: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Richmond: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 2002 "Indian Art." RAJPUT PAINTING. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. . Richardson, Margaret. "SYNTHESIS AND SYMBIOSIS: AKBAR’S AESTHETIC VISION FOR INDIA." Virginia Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. Read More

 

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