Located in Himachal Pradesh, the painting traditions
of the region showed close resemblance to the Mughal
style. The influence of Deccan and Gujarat were also
conspicuous in the paintings. In the late 17th century,
influence of Basohli style became evident however it
was lost out to the Guler painting tradition, which
became dominant in the region. Dashavatara, attributed
to the mid 18th century, executed by artist Mahesh was
a significant work from this school.
The illustration
work based on the on the life of Krishna and the story
of Usha and Annirudha from the Bhagavata Purana were
other notable works of art.
Besides paintings, decoration on rumals (coverlets)
usually bearing a design related to the life of Krishna
were brilliantly executed by court artists before they
were worked in fine silk by ladies of Zenana (Chamber
of females).
Garhwal
Molu Ram was a noted artist from Garhwal. His earlier
work reflected the influence of Mughul style while his
later work can be interpreted as cruder version of Kangra
traditions. Himself a poet, his pictures often carried
his own verses and exact dates. One of the splendid
works of this region was the work of art based on Shiva-Parvati.
Guler Kangra Style
In a span of one and a half centuries, around 1800,
dramatic changes in the painting traditions led to the
development of mature Guler- Kangra style. The decorative
and stylized treatment of various motifs in flat, and
cut out forms became more naturalistic in the new style.
The difference was visible in the treatment of eyes
and modeling of the face. This painting style introduced
naturalistic landscapes.
The illustrated Gita Govinda, from this genre, showed
landscapes, and used shading. Scholars noted that the
shading device appeared all over the grassy plains of
the several paintings of the series. However, this feature
was absent in the earlier Pahari paintings.
The other significant development of this period was
the emphasis on the graciousness and feminity of Indian
women. The facial types of women were well modeled and
shaded so judiciously that it provided porcelain like
delicacy.
Guler
Painting in Guler began earnestly in the 18th century.
The family of Pandit Seu was well noted for their fine
body of work. Ramayana dated 1720 and a series of collection
in Reitberg Museum were few of his classic work. His
work laid the foundation of the Kangra style, which
was evolved and refined, from the artists of his family
subsequently.
Jammu
The painting traditions of Jammu in the late 18th century
and early 19th century showed close resemblance with
the Kangra type. Recent research has indicated that
Shangri Ramayana of the late 17th and early 18th centuries
was produced in Jammu and not in Kangra as it was earlier
believed to be.
Jasrota
Jasrota, located in Jammu and Kashmir, saw some noteworthy
works of art executed by Nainsukh of Guler. Under Raja
Balwant Singh (1724-63) , Nainsukh produced portraits,
court scenes, events from the prince’s life as
well as allegorical scenes.
Kangra
In the second half of the 18th century, Kangra style
characterized with the lyrical and refined qualities
developed. Under Maharaja Sansar Chand, Kangra became
the main center of Pahari Painting. Artists from the
family of Pandit Seu produced finest works of art in
this school. Bhagavata Purana, Gita Govinda, Nala Damayanti,
Ragamala, and Satsai (Seven Hundred verses) were some
of the notable works of art. Sansar Chand also commissioned
many durbar scenes of himself and his nobles but these
were in a stiffer and formal style.
Kulu
A series of portraits of the Kulu rulers have been
executed outside Kulu. Shangri Ramayana dated 1690 –1710
ascribed to Kulu, exhibited four distinct styles. However,
new scholastic research indicates that this work was
not produced in Kulu but at Jammu. The other notable
works of art were a Bhagavata Purana and two Madhumalati
manuscripts.
Mandi
Mandi, a small kingdom south of Kulu saw the emergence
of an individualized style under Raja Sidh Sen ( 1684-1727).
Portraits patronized by him depicted the ruler as a
gigantic figure with exaggerated enlarged heads, hands
and feet. The same painting tradition continued in the
reign of his successor Shamsher Sen (1721-81). It is
interesting to note that both the rulers have been depicted
as incarnations of Shiva in the paintings commissioned
by them.
Mention must be made of Sajanu, an artist who produced
splendid work characterized by geometric compositions
and delicate naturalistic details.
Mankot
Painting traditions at Mankot located in Jammu and
Kashmir closely resembled to the Basholi type. Portraitures
were common in the mid 17th century. The paintings in
this region were characterized with the use of bright
colors and boldly rendered subjects. Bhagavata Purana
and Ramayana were few of the significant works of this
region. In the later period the style showed greater
naturalism and use of muted colors.
Nurpur
Nurpur, in Himachal Pradesh can be described as a stopover
between Chamba and the Punjab plains. Chamba painters
often stayed there, which resulted in cultural exchange
between their counterparts at Nurpur. This is manifested
in the certain common idioms used in the paintings of
both regions. One of the earliest paintings was of the
ruler and his brother at worship. This work carried
a strong Mughal influence. The Nurpur style employed
bright colors and mostly flat backgrounds. However in
the later period the paintings used muted colors.
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