Pahari painting developed from Mughal painting, albeit it was principally patronized by Rajput monarchs who ruled over most of the area, and it gave birth to a new style in Indian art. The style is divided into two distinct schools.
1. The powerful and passionate Basohli and
2. The delicate and lyrical Kangra.
Pahari painting, also known as Hill painting (pahari, "of the hills"), is conceptually and emotionally similar to Rajasthan painting and has a fondness for illustrating stories of the cowherd deity Krishna with Rajput art of the North Indian plains. During the 17th to 19th centuries, when they were founded and developed, these paintings were mostly done in miniature painting forms.
Features:
The painting topics ranged from mythology to literature, and new methods were used. The everlasting love of Hindu deities Radha and Krishna is the central theme of Pahari art. Nainsukh was a well-known mid-eighteenth-century master, and his family workshop was perpetuated for another two generations.
Multiple characters emerge on the canvas in a typical Pahari artwork, all of them are active. Each figure has its own composition, colour, and pigmentation. Identifying Pahari paintings only by the locations in which they were painted may be misleading, since political borders in the period when they were made were fluid and regularly changed between various rulers.
Different Style of Painting:
Basohli Painting
Basohli paintings
Basohli paintings are well-known in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. This town has developed a stunning Devi series, a spectacular succession of manifestations of the Supreme Goddess. The excellent depiction of the Rasamanjari text is also well-known. Geometrical motifs, vivid colours, and lustrous enamel distinguish Basohli paintings.
Jammu Painting
Jammu paintings have significant similarities to Kangra paintings. In the late 17th and early 18th century, Jammu wrote the Shangri Ramayana.
Jasrota Painting
The majority of Jasrota paintings may be seen in Jammu and Kashmir. It is centred on kingly events, court scenes, symbolic moments, and so on.
Mankot Painting
Mankot Painting
Mankot paintings may be found in Jammu and Kashmir. It resembles the Basohli kind. It employs brilliant colours and eye-catching topics. In the mid-seventeenth century, portraiture became a prominent theme. Later on, reality and subdued colours took the stage.
Chamba Painting
Chamba Painting
The style of Chamba paintings is similar to Mughal art. It is mainly inspired by the painting styles of Deccan and Gujarat. In the late 17th century, the Basohli style dominated Chamba paintings, laying the way for the Guler painting tradition.
Bilaspur Painting
Bilaspur Painting
This town saw the rise of Pahari art in the mid-seventeenth century. In addition to the Bhagavata Purana, Ramayana, and Ragamala series, painters made artwork on coverlets for sacraments and ceremonies.
Guller-Kangra Painting
Guller – Kangra Painting
The Guller Kangra painting style emerged around the year 1800. It was a more naturalised version of the artwork, with distinct differences in the treatment of the eyes and face modelling. Landscapes were commonly depicted in Guler-Kangra art. This style also emphasized the beauty and delicacy of Indian ladies.
Garhwal Painting
Gharwal Painting
Garhwal, also known as Gadhwal, is a Himalayan area and administrative division of Uttaranchal. Garhwal paintings, like Mughal, Rajasthani, and Kangra paintings, have their own distinct qualities. Garhwal art emerged in Himachal and was once influenced by Mughal style. Later on, it began to resemble a cruder form of Kangra customs. Garhwal art owed a lot to the Kangra school. Human forms, architectural themes, and landscapes, for example, were unmistakably influenced by Kangra heritage. The University Museum in Srinagar, Garhwal, has a large collection of Garhwal art. Some are on display in the 'Bharat Kala Bhawan, Banaras,' the 'Kastur Bhai Lal Bhai Sagrahaalaya, Ahmedabad,' and at art galleries in Kolkata, Allahabad, Lucknow, and Delhi
Kulu Painting
Paintings in the Kullu style are an amazing depiction of the region's unique beauty. They have numerous parallels with Basholi art, to the point that the same artists from Basholi were brought to Kullu to portray the life of Lord Rama, the family god of Pahari monarchs, on canvas. The artists created a Rama record known as the 'Shangari Ramayana.' Various Ramayana parts, such as Bal Kanda, Ayodhya Kanda, and Uttar Kanda, have been depicted.
Mandi Painting
Mandi Painting
Mandi saw the emergence of a new style of painting under Raja Sidh Sen from 1684 until 1727. In the paintings, the monarch was shown as a monster figure with exaggeratedly enormous heads, hands, and feet. Other sculptures included geometric shapes and delicate, realistic details.
Nurpur Painting
Nurpur Paintings
The Nurpur paintings are found in Himachal Pradesh. Nurpur paintings often include bright colours and simple backgrounds. Subdued colours were used instead of vivid ones in later centuries.
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