Indian Miniature Research Articles

STUDY OF PRESENT-DAY INDIAN MINIATURE TRADITION: THROUGH THE PAINTINGS OF CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS VIRENDRA BANNU AND WASWO X. WASWO

Looking at the art history, we see that art has evolved through the ages. A significant development can be seen in Indian miniature art tradition too. It is perceived that the foundation principles of miniature art remains the same however, the changes occurred in the stylistic creation and presentation of the composition. There is no way that the fundamentals and intrinsic meaning has been disappeared with course of time.This paper aims at studying the various aspects of present-day Indian Miniature Tradition through an analysis of the miniature paintings of contemporary artists Virendra Bannu and Waswo X. Waswo. Socio-political, cultural, and economic factors are measured to determine the evolution and to understand its significance in defining the contemporary miniature art. This study will also unfold how traditional methods have been kept alive throughout the generations in course of time in spite of tremendous advances of the modern world. Practicing artist’s interview and some paintings are considered in the paper to come to a conclusion.

EKPHRASTIC POETRY AND INDIAN MINIATURE PAINTINGS: ARTISTRY AND AESTHETICS OF DEBASISH LAHIRI’S TETHER THAT LIGHT

For an internationally acclaimed Indian English poet, Debasish Lahiri, time is a recording of the lingering of light, in nature, in the mind. His recent collection of poems, Tether that Light (2022) is an attempt to follow that trail of light left in selected Indian miniature paintings, particularly Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari, and Deccani paintings. The intricate artworks and enchanting visuals of these incredible canvases have enthralled the poet who uses the treasure trove of Indian miniatures that work as intertexts for his ekphrastic collection of poems. Given the pictorial effect of words appearing as miniature paintings, the flawless transformation from one medium to the other, Lahiri’s symbiosis between literary texts and performing arts, poetry, and painting, foregrounds how concepts, attitudes, and ideologies operate across a broader cultural spectrum that is not exclusively literary. Transcending the borders of time and space, Tether that Light not only makes way for a larger interdisciplinarity between sister arts but opens up new avenues for interrogating notions of historicity, textuality and appropriations.

INDIAN MINIATURES (PAHARI PAINTINGS A STUDY OF INDIAN LANDSCAPES, SOCIAL LIFE AND LOVING SONGS OF GEET GOVINDA)

The article highlights the history of the Indian miniature as a carrier of unique cultural information. The author considers the artistic miniature not only as a special genre of Indian culture, but also as a means of transmitting social traditions, culture, values, including religious ones. Pahari and Kangra miniatures are considered under the direct influence of the topos, in the context of their historical and chronological development. The author gives a commentary on each miniature, its color painting, highlights the main themes and images, connects local motifs with the history of the country, religion.

Medieval Indian Miniature Paintings: An Overview of the Latest Writings and Trends

Medieval Indian Miniature Paintings: An Overview of the Latest Writings and Trends

SPIRITUAL HAPPINESS IN MALWA MINIATURE PAINTINGS STYLE

All the arts are result of human nature & Beauty. one of the ancient primitive arts and the cultured art and on the other hand, the development of folk art takes place. Folk art often consists of religious narratives, religious traditions, religious symbols and apart from fictional mythological events, social festivals and social beliefs are based on the background. Art is incomplete without each other in terms of folk art and classical art. These two forces are complementary to each other. This most of the paintings of our Indian miniature painting style are based on poems and literature. The miniature paintings of Malwa are for spiritual enjoyment, it is a reflection of its civilization and culture, in which the people there are not able to see the spirit of life. important various elements of Malwa miniature painting style of folk art for many subjects (literature) such as Kalpasutra, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Devi Mahatmaya, Bustan of Saadi are based on. that are spiritual and historical respectively. Pictures based on poems are made on enchantment/affairs (Radha Krishna) and Nayika Bhed respectively. In The subjects of the pictures are like- Rasik Priya, Barhamasa, Ragamala, Rasaveli. In which we get the elements of art, human figures, nature Illustrations are visible through colour, line, form, tone, texture, space in architectural marking. Bhakti and yoga in Indian Art along with this, special emphasis was placed on the expression of emotion, due to which the art of Malwa remained intact. Folk art traditions contained in Malwa Miniatures are still prevalent in villages and cities and in many museums. It is safe and people have unwavering faith in these folk traditions.

MOĞOL YÖNETİMİ SIRASINDA HİNT YARIMADASINDAKİ MİNYATÜR SANATINA İRAN MİNYATÜR SANATININ YANSIMALARININ SEBEPLERİNİN İNCELENMESİ

عوامل متعددی بر روند تاثیرگذاری نگاره های ایران بر نگاره های شبه قاره هند در دوران حکومت مغولان موثر بوده است. موضوع این پژوهش بررسی عوامل تاثیرگذاری نگارگری ایران بر نگارگری شبه قاره هند در دوره حکومت مغولان است. در این پژوهش با بررسی منابع کتابخانه ای و بکارگیری روش توصيفی- تحليلی با رویکرد تاریخی، آثار نگارگری دوران حکومت مغولان بر شبه قاره هند از منظر شیوه پیدایش، ساختار، خصایص صوری و عوامل تاثیرپذیری از هنر ایرانی مورد بررسی قرار گرفته ‏است. بر اساس نتایج این پژوهش، آثار نگارگری هند در عصر حکومت مغولان، به گونه ای چشم گیر معرف نفوذ هنر ایرانی است. به طور کلی، گرایش هنرمندان شبه قاره در دوره حکومت مغول به هنرهای تصویری ایران‏ و نفوذ قواعد هنر ایرانی در آثار نگارگری این کشور، متأثر از دو منبع بوده است: نخستین منبع وجود تعداد زیاد نسخ خطی مصور و غیرمصور در کتابخانه‏ های شاهان مغول است. دومین منبع، مهاجرت شماری از هنرمندان نگارگر ایرانی به خواست خود و یا با دعوت حاکمان شبه قاره در این دوره به هند است که منجر به تأثیرگذاری نگارگری ایرانی بر نگارگری دوره حاکمیت مغولان بر هند گردید. یکی از ویژگی های بارز نگاره های این دوره، رواج گسترده تک چهره سازی و تمایل آشکار به ثبت واقع گرایانه چهره ها است. در دوران حکومت مغولان هند بر شبه قاره، نگارگری که در ابتدا در خدمت تزیین متون ادبی بود، بعداً شخصیت جداگانه ای یافت. با این حال، در این آثار، هنرمندان ویژگی های اساسی کار خود مانند طراحی پیشرفته و میل به واقع گرایی را حفظ کردند.

Between Mughal Art, Ethnography and Realism On Nicolò Manucci’s Artistic Patronage in India (1680-1720)

Nicolò Manucci (or Manuzzi) (ca. 1638-1720) is a well-known figure among scholars: a Venetian adventurer, artilleryman and doctor in Early Modern India. He was a dynamic man, who frequented for a long time both the Mughal courts and the European agents of the seventeenth and early eighteenth century trade companies, leaving meaningful testimonies of his age, and thus becoming an important (and controversial) historical source on South Asia. In spite of the celebrity gained by his biography and his work, Manucci’s role as European patron of Indian artists has been undervalued so far, with scholars often preferring to define him as a mere collector of works of Indian miniatures. Through an historic and artistic examination of his work, of other coeval works of art and contemporary sources, the aim of this paper is to show that Manucci was actually an important patron of Indian painting, a paradigmatic precursor of figurative didactic works mainly illustrated by (unfortunately anonymous) Indian artists under his guidance, and at the same time mediated by his bias and his culture, following an interesting and original hybrid format that bridges European figurative culture and Indian art.

How to Succeed in Marketing Something Repulsive: A Recently Discovered Drawing of a Yogi by Willem Schellinks (1623– 1678)

Abstract In seventeenth-century Dutch paintings, ascetics are a rare and remarkable subject, even more so when they are Hindu ascetics. The drawing of a yogi created by Rembrandt’s contemporary Willem Schellinks (1623– 1678) is unique for this reason. This article investigates the various possible sources of Schellinks’ drawing – an eyewitness report, the many travel accounts on South Asia, Indian miniatures, or the like – and discusses its place between the European tradition of exoticism and the iconography of saints, as well as its position in Schellinks’ own oeuvre. Far from resorting to exotic stereotypes, Schellinks enlarged the canon of Dutch painting by combining observed foreign objects with established exotic motifs.

Portraiture in Indian Miniature Paintings

The art of miniature painting in India traces its origin to the Buddhist manuscript Illustrations of the Pala period in Nepal and Eastern part of India in the 8th to 11th century. The Jain manuscripts in Gujrat and Rajasthan, as early as 11th century, also point towards a practice of such illustrations. These manuscripts, apart from portraying religious literature, also covered wide ranging topics such as medicine, astrology, etc. They were profusely illustrated, and were mostly inscribed on palm leaves. Apart from serving as important treatises, they were widely used as gifts during royal marriages and accessions. However, the Mughal Rule in India brought a certain degree of sophistication, refinement and finesse to this form of art. Under successive Mughal Rulers, the art of miniature painting reached its zenith. While Babur and Humayun, who were great lovers of art and literature, could not build proper ateliers during their reigns due to their frequent military campaigns and conflicts, they were responsible for bringing to India two versatile artists, Abdus Samad and Mir Sayed Ali from the Safavid Persian Court-whose works would have significant impact on the art of miniature paintings in the Mughal Courts. Humayun’s successors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan built some of the most significant ateliers under their rules, and some of the preeminent miniature artists like Basavan, Manohar, Bichitar, Ustad Mansur, Balchand and Murad flourished under their patronage. Some very significant works like Baburnama, Akbarnama, Razamnama, etc. were also commissioned by the early Mughal Emperors. With the decline of the Mughal Empire, the miniature painting scene shifted to the Rajput Courts in Rajasthan and the Hill States in Northern India. Various important Schools of painting –like the Mewar, Marwar, Jaipur, Hadoti, Kangra, Basholi, and Garhwal – Schools, to name a few, started flourishing under their respective rulers. While the Mughal influence still prevailed, yet each school had its own distinctive characteristic and feature. The subjects of these paintings and manuscripts ranged from religious literature, court scenes, royal processions, flora and fauna, textiles, jewelry to elaborate equestrian and hunting scenes. However, the most riveting and captivating depictions were in the form of elaborate and brilliant portraits of the rulers, their nobles and courtiers, which not only throw light on their magnificent reigns, but also open a window to the culture, tradition and practices of those times. This essay makes an attempt to study the fine art of portraiture in miniature paintings in the various Mughal, Provincial and Rajput Courts to bring out their historical and cultural significance.

Manifestation of Indian Miniature Style in the Paintings of Nicholas Roerich

Manifestation of Indian Miniature Style in the Paintings of Nicholas Roerich

Ragamala Miniatures in the Collection of the State Museum of Oriental Art: An Attempt at Attribution

The article is devoted to nine Indian miniatures from the collection of the State Museum of Oriental Art (Moscow). The aim of this study is to provide an academic description of these items, and to clarify their attributions. All the works in question have been thoroughly studied: the author conducted an iconographic, textological and stylistic analysis of the objects. He also looked for compositional and stylistic analogues among the miniature paintings (mainly from foreign collections), published in catalogues, monographs, articles, and on the Internet (on the websites of museums and libraries); the items identified were carefully analysed. On the basis of the abovementioned study, the author identifies nine sheets in the collection as miniatures of Ragamala series; in some cases it is also possible to clarify the time and place of their creation. Ragamala is a unique phenomenon of medieval painting of Hindustan, representing a visualisation of Indian musical modes. The musical material is embodied by the depiction of scenes that may contain motifs similar to those found in Baramasa ( Twelve Months ), Nayaka-Nayika (types of the heroes and heroines of classical drama), and other series of Indian miniature painting. This fact leads to closer attention to iconographic schemes and signatures of the items discussed. This article summarises a five-year study of the authentication of Ragamala miniatures in the collection of the State Museum of Oriental Art.

Art and Gender in the Contact Zone – European Women and Indian Miniature Painting

Art and Gender in the Contact Zone – European Women and Indian Miniature Painting

Elemental mapping in a contemporary miniature by full-field X-ray fluorescence imaging with gaseous detector vs. scanning X-ray fluorescence imaging with polycapillary optics

Energy dispersive X-ray imaging can be used in several research fields and industrial applications. Elemental mapping through energy dispersive X-ray imaging technique has become a promising method to obtain positional distribution of specific elements in a non-destructive way. To obtain the elemental distribution of a sample it is necessary to use instruments capable of providing a precise positioning together with a good energy resolution. Polycapillary beams together with silicon drift chamber detectors are used in several commercial systems and are considered state-of-the-art spectrometers, however they are usually very costly. A new concept of large energy dispersive X-ray imaging systems based on gaseous radiation detectors emerged in the last years enabling a promising 2D elemental detection at a very reduced price. The main goal of this work is to analyze a contemporary Indian miniature with both X-ray fluorescence imaging systems, the one based on a gaseous detector 2D-THCOBRA and the state-of-the-art spectrometer M4 Tornado, from Bruker. The performance of both systems is compared and evaluated in the context of the sample's analysis.

RAINBOW OF COLOURS – THE PAHARI MINIATURE PAINTING”

Indian miniatures are in the art world a class by themselves. ‘Miniature’ generally refers to a painting or illumination, small in size, meticulous in detailing and delicate in brushwork1. Indian Miniature Painting has a long history of over thousand years and presents a comprehensive record of the religious and emotional feelings of the Indian people. These paintings show the Indian genius in its pure form. Its inspiration is rooted in the people’s hearts, keeping close to their poetry, music and drama. The great merit of this art is the exquisite delicacy of drawing with decorative details. The artists of these miniatures used bright colours with tempera effect and display an unusual understanding of colour combinations.Miniature art form made its debut in the 10th century. The earliest of miniatures are found painted on palm-leaves and their themes relating to Jainism and Buddhism. The palm-leaf paintings seem to have developed between 10th to 12th centuries. In the 14th century, palm leaf was replaced by paper and to earlier colours were added new mineral colours and pigments. Paper, with its tougher, smoother and better pigments absorbing surface almost revolutionized the entire art scenario2.

Imported Chronology

From the early seventeenth century onwards, Indian miniatures were highly coveted by European collectors. Shortly after arriving in Europe, they were copied in paintings as well as in drawings and prints. What is peculiar is that almost all the copies had been made in the Northern Netherlands in the period from c. 1600 to 1740 for the Dutch and international art and book market. The circle of collectors, artists and writers who were involved in this process was very close. Investigating their intrinsic motives, one common interest could be traced: far beyond costume or ethnological studies, they used Indian miniatures and their European copies as historical witnesses. With the help of a complete portrait-series of both Mughal emperors and Hindu gods, the calculation of the world’s duration was scrutinised in confrontation with the Biblical chronology.

Spectroscopic Characterization of a Contemporary Indian Miniature Painting

A case study on a contemporary Indian miniature was carried out through the application of different spectroscopic techniques. Painting support, pigments, and dyes were largely characterized by means of energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence and Raman microspectroscopy directly on the artwork. Regarding golden motifs and silvered areas, for which these techniques have not provided enough information, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy was used as a complementary technique. The painting support was identified as the Bombyx mori silk. Among the colorant matters, several pigments were identified such as chrome yellow, lithopone, hematite, lamp black, mica-titania pearlescent pigment, and tin-based metallic silver, and dyes such as phthalocyanine blue and the recent synthetic pigment red PR9 naphthol AS. All this materials will provide evidence in the support of the contemporary production of the artwork for future studies.

A Comparison Study between Rajput & Mughal Indian Miniature Paintings A study of the relationship between Mythologies & representations of Clothing

The movement towards global awareness motivates fashion leaders to research the world for fresh ideas. The East is an enthusiastic source of inspiration for fashion leaders. The proposed submission documents how fashion designers get inspired by a cultural form of Art. However, it is very crucial that designers respect the source of inspiration for their apparel collection. Unfortunately, some fashion leaders, for the sake of creating innovative looks, may employ elements pulled from un-contemplated sources. They not only handle the subject matter with lack of sensitivity, but also diminish the integrity of the people of that particular culture or religion. This comparison study between the Indian Rajput & Mughal Miniature paintings will discuss many differences in Hindu methodologies, and Muslim beliefs. As well as, explains women’s representations and ways of dress. This comparison study between symbolism and representations underlines the importance of the distinctive differences between Rajput and Mughal Indian Miniature paintings

Diasporic Body Double: The Art of the Singh Twins

The London-born artists Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh, the daughters of a Sikh doctor who immigrated to North England from the Punjab, are identical twins: they have the same DNA, they look and sound exactly alike, they wear the same clothing, and they received their training in art together. Often referred to as “The Singh Twins,” the sisters have adopted the language of Indian and Persian miniature painting to depict the complex urban and domestic landscapes of the contemporary world. The twins have exhibited their work to international audiences in Britain, Europe, India, and North America: a recent show, titled Past Modern: The Singh Twins, featured more than sixty paintings and was hosted by the University of California, Riverside, in 2003 and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool in 2005.1 Significantly, Amrit and Rabindra Singh's collaborative practice is not simply an innocent expression of an affectionate bond between sisters, but rather a self-conscious engagement with the notion of singular authorship and the cult of the individual that has pervaded post-Enlightenment art-historical tradition. Not since Diane Arbus's 1967 black-and-white photograph of identical twin girls in New Jersey has such a memorable rendering of sameness and belonging, normativity and exclusion, and identity and difference been sustained so provocatively within the contemporary art world.

An external PIXE study: Mughal painting pigments

AbstractRecently, a new external beam PIXE facility was installed at the 2 MV tandem ion accelerator of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). For external beam PIXE, 1–3 MeV protons are extracted through a thin exit window and focused on the target under air pressure. This set‐up is particularly suitable for multielement trace analysis in the field of unique art and archaeological objects. We report the first archaeometric findings of the study of Mughal painting pigments by means of this experimental set‐up. The Indian miniatures chosen for the study date from the Mughal period (1526–1858) and were executed by various artists in particular workshops between the 17th and the 19th centuries. The paintings are typical depictions of Mughal sovereigns and courtiers or show genre scenes. Until now, in contrast to European paintings, only scarce information on the materials used in the workshops of Mughal painters has been available. Therefore, the exact knowledge of the painting materials employed would allow a more detailed attribution of the precious miniatures to a particular period and to distinguish original paintings from later copies. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

British Orientalists' co-operation: a new letter of Sir William Jones

The purpose of this Note is to make available to scholars the text of a new letter by Sir William Jones (1746–94) to Richard Johnson (1753–1807), recently discovered in an antiquarian book and manuscript catalogue issued in 1924 by Maggs Brothers, the London dealers, and otherwise unpublished and unrecorded.Johnson, an important though neglected figure in the history of the British ‘discovery’ of Hinduism, held a number of influential posts within the East India Company's administration during his sojourn in India from 1770 to 1790. But it is for his investigations into Indian literature and music, including his substantial and important collection of Indian miniatures and Persian and Sanskrit manuscripts, that he deserves to be better known.