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As the name suggests, miniature paintings are colorful handmade paintings very small in size. One of the outstanding features of these paintings is the intricate brushwork which contributes to their unique identity. The colors used in the paintings are derived from various natural sources like vegetables, indigo, precious stones, gold and silver. While artists all around the world convey their respective theme through their paintings, the most common theme used in the miniature paintings of India comprises of the Ragas or a pattern of musical notes, and religious and mythological stories. Miniature paintings are made on a very small scale especially for books or albums. These are executed on materials, such as paper and cloth. The Palas of Bengal are considered the pioneers of miniature painting in India, but the art form reached its zenith during the Mughal rule. The tradition of miniature paintings was further taken forward by the artists of various Rajasthani schools of painting, including the Kishangarh, Bundi Jaipur, Mewar and Marwar.
The Mughals brought the art of Miniature painting to the land of India from Persia. The Mughal ruler Humayun brought the specialists of miniature painting from Persia. An atelier was built by the succeeding Mughal Emperor, Akbar to promote the rich art form. These Persian artists then trained the Indian artists who produced the paintings, inspired by the lavish and romantic lives of the Mughals, in a new distinctive style. Indian artist also produced few miniature paintings in their own unique style which is now known as Rajput or Rajasthani Miniature. The Indian artists who didn't make the required grade were shifted back to their respective family homes. However, they carried the Mughal painting traits while returning from the Mughal Imperial atelier. Several painting schools such as Mewar (Udaipur), Kota, Bundi, Marwar (Jodhpur), Jaipur, Bikaner, and Kishangarh have emerged during the time. The early Rajasthani and Pahari paintings were highly influenced by the Mughal style. The early Mewar paintings are evidence of the formative style of Rajasthani School of painting at the end of the 16th century.
Miniature paintings originated in India around 750 A.D when the Palas ruled over the eastern part of India. Since religious teachings of the Buddha, accompanied by his images, were written on palm leaves, these paintings became popular. As these paintings were done on palm leaves, they had to be miniature in nature because of space constraint. Around 960 A.D, similar paintings were introduced in the western parts of India by the rulers of the Chalukya Dynasty.
During Mughal period, miniature paintings often portrayed religious themes. With the rise of the Mughal Empire, miniature paintings started growing on a level unknown before. Thanks to Akbar’s love for art, Indian miniature paintings combined elements of Persian style of painting, to give rise to the Mughal style of painting. These miniature paintings further evolved with the influence of European paintings in the Mughal court. Even after the decline of the Mughal Empire, miniature paintings and artists were patronized by the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan.
Though influenced by the Mughal style of painting, the miniature paintings of Rajasthan had their own distinct features and often depicted the royal lifestyle and mythological stories of Lord Krishna and Radha. Most of these miniature paintings depicted the lifestyle of kings and queens and also narrated their tales of bravery. Some of these paintings were also created to showcase the contribution of various rulers towards their respective subjects and kingdoms.
While there exists a plethora of themes in Rajput paintings, a common motif found throughout Rajput works is the purposeful manipulation of space. In particular, the inclusion of fuller spaces is meant to emphasize the lack of boundaries and inseparability of characters and landscapes. In this way, the individuality of physical characters is almost rejected, allowing both the depicted backgrounds and human figures to be equally expressive.
Outside of a purely artistic standpoint, Rajput paintings were often politically charged and commented on social values of the time. Mewar's rulers wanted these painting to portray their ambitions and establish their legacy. Therefore, paintings were often indicative of a ruler's legacy or their changes made to better society. Both of these factors clearly distinguish Rajput paintings from Mughal works. While, from a chronological standpoint, both of these cultures clashed with one another, Rajput paintings only superficially adopted Mughal fashion and cultural standards. Elements, such as precise likenesses in portraiture, utilized by popular Mughal artists (Govardhan, Hashim, etc.) are not found in Rajput works. Likewise, Rajput techniques are not predominantly seen in Mughal paintings: "At the opening of the eighteenth century, therefore, Rajput painting remains recognizably different in intent from traditional Mughal attitudes."
Beginning from the Pala style of miniature paintings, several schools of miniature paintings evolved in India over the course of several centuries. These schools were the products of the social, religious, economic and political atmosphere prevalent in different regions of India. Though these schools of miniature paintings were influenced by each other, they had their own distinct features as well. Some of the important schools of miniature paintings are mentioned below:
1.Pala School (emphasized on the symbolic use of colors and the themes were often taken from the Buddhist tantric rituals, Pala School include the skillful and graceful usage of lines, and modeling forms by delicate and expressive variation of pressure, usage of natural colors, etc.)
2.Orissa School (Emphasized on love stories of Radha and Krishna and also stories from ‘Krishna Leela’ and ‘Gita Govinda’, These paintings were rich in color and often depicted the majestic landscape of the eastern parts of India)
3.Jain School (One of the earliest schools of miniature paintings in india and emphasized on the paintings often displayed male figures and goddesses of the Tirthankara. Also, the goddesses shown in the paintings were often heavily ornamented)
4.Mughal School (Emphasized on Scenes from the royal court, hunting expeditions, wild life and battles were often displayed through these paintings. Plants and trees were portrayed realistically and the paintings had rich frames that were decorated heavily)
5.Rajasthani School (Emphasized on the royal lifestyle of kings and queens, Rajasthani miniature paintings often portrayed the legacy of present and past rulers)
6.Pahari School (Emphasized on Each and every style of painting, but the portrayal of gods and goddesses is one of the most common features)
7.Deccan School (Emphasized on intense colors and sensuous looking female figures. The ladies were portrayed with beautiful faces, large eyes and broad foreheads)
