Bundi

City and district in the southeastern part
of the state Rajasthan, about 100 miles
south of the state capital, Jaipur. Before
1947, when India gained independence,
Bundi was a small kingdom. In the late
seventeenth century, Bundi became a
center for the Rajasthani style of miniature painting, perhaps by attracting
artists from the Moghul court who were
seeking outside patronage. Aside from
the portraits and court groups characterizing this genre under the Moghuls,
Rajasthani miniature painters portrayed
Hindu religious themes, particularly incidents in the life of the god Krishna.
Whereas some styles have flat, monochromatic backgrounds, the Bundi style
shows an intense focus on nature, such
as detailed depiction of the trees (usually
banana trees) surrounding the subjects,
in addition to flowers, birds, and lotusfilled ponds. For further information see
W. G. Archer, Indian Painting, 1957; or his
Indian Painting in Bundi and Kotah,
\1959. See also Moghul dynasty.