The origins of Hindu miniature painting
lie in the royal art of the Moghul court,
where miniature painting and portraiture were well-established genres. In the
seventeenth century other centers for
miniature painting began to arise, perhaps spurred by Moghul artists seeking
patronage in Hindu vassal kingdoms.
Although portraiture and court scenes
continued to be important, the miniature genre expanded to include other
themes such as the illustration of the
musical modes known as ragas, which
are associated with particular times
and/or seasons. Another prominent
theme was Hindu religious imagery,
reflecting the influence of the devotional
(bhakti) movement, which was in full
flower in northern India. Religious
themes first concentrated mainly on the
mythic exploits of the god Krishna and
portrayals of the god Shiva. At times,
these two major themes were combined. Miniature paintings were also
used to illustrate manuscripts, thus
integrating literature, art, music, and
religious images.
The development of Hindu miniature painting can be broadly divided
into three schools, each corresponding
to a geographical area: Rajasthani,
Deccani, and Pahari. The earliest developed school was the Rajasthani, which
flourished in seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the Malwa region of
the state of Madhya Pradesh and the
small kingdoms that surrounded the
region. The Rajasthani style is characterized by a flat perspective; visual power
is derived from vivid bands of colors that
often serve as a backdrop to the painting. The Deccani style was established in
central India and showed little variation
from Moghul court art. The Pahari
(“mountain”) style flourished in the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in
the small kingdoms in the Shiwalik Hills
north and west of Delhi. The Pahari style
first appeared in Basohli, where the
influence of the Rajasthani school is evident, and later developed in Jammu,
Guler, Garhwal, and Kangra. The developed Pahari style differs from the
Rajasthani style in its emphasis on more
linear drawing—perhaps influenced by
European art—and a more restrained
use of color, giving the paintings a more
lyrical feel. For further information see
W. G. Archer, Indian Painting, 1957. See
also Moghul dynasty.