Rajasthani Paintings

Kishangarh in central Rajasthan, developed a distinct style of painting, which was a result of fusion between the Mughal tradition and regional style. Many Mughal painters, in the early 18th century from Delhi had settled in the region and found patronage under ruler Raj Singh (1706-48). One of the chief painters was Bhavani Das who developed a style that bloomed during the reign of Raja Savant Singh (1748-64). Raja Sawant Singh was a devotional poet and an accomplished musician and artist.

The mystical love of Krishna and Radha was beautifully portrayed in the paintings. The poetry of Sawant Singh also often became the theme of the paintings. Illustrated Shahnama and court scenes were other notable works of art. His chief artist Nihal Chand developed a mannerlist style that emphasized on slender curves and almond eyes of the figures.

The Kishangarh School is best known for its Bani Thani paintings. It is widely believed that Bani Thani, was a mistress of Savant Singh and was herself a singer and a poet. Bani Thani paintings were noticeable for their exaggerated features - long necks, large almond-shaped eyes, long fingers and the use of subdued colors.

After the demise of Savant Singh and his leading painters, the Kishangarh School lost its glory and declined in the course of 19th century.

Malwa

Malwa (In present day Madhya Pradesh) School was one of the most conservative Rajput Painting School in the 17th century. Rasikpriya, dated 1634, and Ramayana dated 1650 are the earliest examples from this school. Influence of Chaurpanchasika style and use of flat planes of bright colors are some of the main features of these works of art.

Malwa paintings emphasized on strong colors like deep blues, reds and browns and bold lines. Remote Mughal influence was also evident in the paintings like that Amarusataka (100 verses of Amaru).

Rasabeli and Bhagavata Purana are some of the other notable illustrated works from this school.

Marwar

The desert kingdom of Marwar (Jodhpur) in the 18th century is well known for its great visual paintings. Ragamala painted in Pali in 1623 is one of the earliest paintings from this school.

During the 18th century portraitures of nobles on their horses and darbar scenes became common. Artists like Dalchand brought with them Mughal traditions that were evident in the paintings. Under Maharaja Abhai Singh ( 1724-49) large volume of high standard work was produced.

Many of these priceless paintings are preserved in the Jodhpur Fort Museum Collection.

Mewar

Mewar is notable for the fact that it resisted the domination of the Mughals for a considerable period and developed a very conservative style. Chawand Ragamala dated 1605 is one of the earliest examples of this school. The flatness, bright colors, and several common motifs showed marked resemblance with the Chaurapanchasika style.

Few notable painters of Mewar School were Nasr al Din and Sahibdin. Sahibdin dominated Mewar School from 1620-1650. His body of work includes Ragamala, Gita Govinda, Rasikpriya, and Bhagavata Purana.

In the mid 17th century another important artist Manohar was noted for his illustrated Ramayana.

The end of the 17th century and the early 18th century saw the revival of the Mewar style. Several high quality works of art were produced which emphasized on court scenes, religious subjects, and portraitures. In the first half of the 18th century ambitious studies of royal pursuits that used continuous narration were also produced.

The late 18th century saw the decline of the Mewar School. However in the mid 19th century, Tara, a painter tried to provide impetus to the Mewar School. He used European traditions in the paintings. Mewar painting continued as a court art till mid 20th century.

Gujarati Painting

Gujarati Paintings of the 16th-17th centuries were related to Rajasthani styles but were less intense in color and often rougher in execution. Illustrated Jain texts, Gita Govinda, Balagopalastuti, and Bhagavata Purana were notable contributions of this school.