Art, Culture, Literature and Architecture for RAS/RTS Mains and RAS/RTS Prelims

by
Art Forms of India

 

  Mughal Pahari Rajasthani/Rajput Madhubani/Mithila Manjusha/Angika Tanjore
Origin Earlier Persian blend. Became Indian under Akbar. Originated in the sub-Himalayan kingdoms of 19th century. Early 16th century. Various sub-schools existed Done traditionally by the women in the villages near the town of Madhubani. It originated as floor and wall paintings.

 

Essentially a folk tradition

   17th century under the patronage of Tanjore’s Maratha rulers
Type Mostly in miniature form Mostly done in miniature form        
Themes Document of life at the Mughal court, battles, hunt, arrival of embassies, festivities

 

Portrait paintings developed under Jahangir

 Love of man for woman. Symbolised by Krishna and Radha Strongly influenced by the contemporary literary and musical forms, and draw upon their motifs

 

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 Nature and Hindu religious motifs   Usually portrayed deities. Vishnu,Shiva and Krishna
Exceptional Point       Was originally practiced by Brahmins and Kayasthas. Later SC women also adopted it. But the themes of the two are different. While higher castes depicted mythological themes, SCs experimented with day-to-day scenes.    
Characteristics Realism is the keynote of this style

 

Artists had made contacts with Western art. Influence can be seen.

 Bold and intense – Basohli

Delicate and lyrical; Tones subdued and lines exquisitely fine – Kangra

 Decorate in their composition and colour scheme

 

Landscape lacks the naturalism of the Mughal school

 

 Two dimensional imagery. Colors derived from plants.

 

No space is left empty. Gaps are filled by painting flowers, plants animals and even geometric shapes.

 Snakes are a prominent feature Artists adhered strictly to iconography as these paintings were made for ritual and worship and not for display as is mostly the case today.
Technique     Used wider canvas Traditionally done as murals on mud walls. Now is also done one cloth, paper and canvas   Made on jackwood pasted with unbleached cloth to which a mixture of limestone, chalk powder, gum and honey are applied in layers on a sketch of the icon. Extra coats given to raise some parts of the painting. Jewellery etc are put.
Major Artists Basawan, Daswanth, Kesudasa, Mansur     Jagdamba Devi, Mahasundari Devi    
Major Works Akbarnama illustrations; rare birds and animals – Falcon (CS Museum, Bombay), Red Blossoms – floral painting   Jodhpur and Nagaur paintings.      
Major schools   Basohli, Guler, Kangra Malwa, Mewar (Ragamala paintings), Marwar, Kishangarh, Jaipur, Bundi, Kotah Bharni style, Kachni style    
Patrons Akbar, Jahangir Raja Kripal Singh (Bahsoli)       Sarabhiji 2, Shivaji 2, Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar

 

Rajasthani Art Schools

Mewar (Ragamala)

  • themes from the life of Krishna and his frolic with the gopis; heroes and heroines of Hindi poetry.
  • Scenes from Bhagvata and Ramayana
  • Landscape lacks the naturalism of the Mughal school

Marwar

  • Genuine Rajput style evolved under this school
  • Equestrian portraits of the royal house and the nobility.
  • Show bold types of expression with broad, fish eyes in human faces
  • This school is essentially Hindu

Jaipur

  • Raslila was painted. It became ‘an earthly erotic amusement’

 

Manjusha Art

  • Manjushas are temple shaped boxes containing eight pillars
  • The boxes often contain the paintings of gods, goddesses and other characters
  • The boxes are used in Bishahari Puja
  • This is practiced in the Bhagalpur region of Bihar

 

 

Handicrafts

  • Channapatna toys
    • Wooden toys from Karnataka
  • Nirmal Toys
    • Wooden toys made in the town of Nirmal in Adilabad district
  • Tanjore doll
    • Bobblehead made of terracotta

Sandpainting

 

Kolam

  • Drawn using rice powder by female members in front of their home
  • Mainly in South India

Rangoli

  • North India. Using sand colors, flour or flowers

 

Other fine arts

  • Mehandi
  • Pichhwai
    • Intricate paintings that portray Lord Krishna
    • Exist in the town of nathdwara in Rajasthan
  • Tarakashi
    • A type of metalwork from Cuttack

 

Indian Art Awards

  • Kalaimamani
    • By Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Manram
  • Kalidas Samman
    • Presented by the MP govt
  • Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
  • Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
  • Shilp Guru
    • By GOI to a master craftsperson. Started in 2002.
  • Tulsi Samman
    • By MP govt. In fields of art, theatre, dance and music.
  • Varnashilpi Venkatappa Award
    • By Karnataka govt for excellence in painting
Architecture

Harappan

  • Drainage system
  • Rectangular intersecting roads
  • Sanitary system

Mauryan

  • Monolithic Pillars
  • Finely carved capitols – Bull capitol and Sarnath capitol
  • Stupas start during this period – 4 gateways
    • Surface built with bricks
  • Viharas and Chaityas
    • Barabar Caves

Shunga – Satvahanas

  • Early classic architecture
  • Carved railings and gateways around Buddhist shrines

Kushan

  • Sculpture developed
  • The emperor himself was a divine authority
  • Buddha was first time given a human form during this time

Gupta period

  • Beginning of Hindu temples – temple at Deoghar, Udaigiri caves in Orissa
  • Vaishnavite temple in Vidisha

Pallavas

  • Mandaps, Rathas and finely carved panels and pillars
  • Shore temple at Mahabs is a structural temple
  • Ratha temple is a rock cut temple
  • Kanchipuram also has temples
    • Panels depict shiva as Natraja
    • History of Pallavas

Cholas

  • Tanjaur Temple: 65 m tall vimana
  • Pillared halls and sculptures depicting Bharata’s natyashastra
  • Fine paintings

Pandyas

  • Built high outerwalls and gopuram
  • Their gopurams can be seen from long distances

Hoysalas

  • Belur and Halebeed temples
  • Profusion of manifold pillars with rich and intricate carvings
  • Panels depict gods and goddesses

Orissa Temples

  • Lingraja temple
    • 40 m high
  • Sun Temple

Nagara, Dravida and Visara

 

Table 1

  Nagara Dravida Visara
  Temples called PRASADA   Combination of Dravida and Nagara (Chalukyas).
  Shikhara is curvilinear Shikhara pyramidal  
  No role of pillar Pillar important  
  No tank Tank may be there  
  No enclosure Enclosure and gopuram  
    Vimana  
  Mahadeva Temple Brihadeshwara Eg Some in Khajuraho, Sirpur etc

 

Cave architecture

Progressed in three phases

  • Buddhist Jain Ajivika caves (3rd BC to 2nd AD)
    • Kaneri, Nashik, Udaigiri
  • Ajanta Ellora Cave (5th to 7th AD)
  • Elephanta Ellora and Mahabs (7th to 10th)

 

 

Sculpture

Two major schools

  • Gandhara
    • Greco-Roman Style
    • North West India
    • Stone and stucco
  • Madhura
    • Indigenous style
    • UP Bihar
    • White spotted red sandstone used
    • Forms of Brahmanical deities crystallised for the first time in this art form

Themes of Buddha and Bodhisatvas in Both

 

 

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