Painting Traditions, Folk Crafts & Textiles
Indian pictorial art ranges from prehistoric rock shelters at Bhimbetka to classical cave murals and intricate miniature schools. The murals of Ajanta (2nd century BCE to 5th century CE) depict Jataka tales using tempera technique on mud plaster, known for sensitive line work and expressive form. Medieval patronage fostered miniature painting traditions, beginning with eastern Pala palm-leaf manuscripts and western Jain manuscripts, later flourishing under Mughal court ateliers. Regional miniature schools blossomed in Rajasthan (Mewar, Kishangarh, Bundi) and the Pahari hills (Kangra, Basohli). Traditional folk art forms like Madhubani (Bihar), Warli (Maharashtra), Pattachitra (Odisha), and Kalamkari (Andhra Pradesh), alongside Geographical Indication (GI) handlooms like Banarasi brocades and Kanchipuram silks, showcase India's living craft traditions.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- The Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh contain prehistoric cave paintings dating from the Upper Paleolithic to Mesolithic periods.
- The Kishangarh school of Rajasthani painting is renowned for its stylized depiction of Radha as 'Bani Thani', painted by Nihal Chand.
- Madhubani (Mithila) painting from Bihar utilizes natural vegetable dyes, mineral pigments, and geometric line-fill patterns depicting deities and nature.
- Pattachitra is a traditional cloth-scroll painting technique from Odisha and West Bengal portraying mythological themes of Lord Jagannath.