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Indian painting has a very long tradition and history in Indian art. The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of pre-historic times, the petroglyphs as found in places like Bhimbetka rock shelters, some of the Stone Age rock paintings found among the Bhimbetka rock shelters are approximately 10,000 years old. Here are some of the most painitngs from India.

Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani Paintings are an indigenous art form India. Women of the village maintain paint figures from nature and myth on household and village walls to mark the seasonal festivals, wedding proposals , and the technique of painting is safely guarded by the women of this village, for it is to be passed on by a mother to her daughter. Over time, Madhubani paintings became a part of festivities and special events like weddings. Slowly, this art attracted connoisseurs of art as many contemporary Indian artists took the art on global stage. The traditional base of plastered mud wall was soon replaced by handmade paper, cloth and canvas. Since the paintings have been confined to a limited geographical range, the themes as well as the style are more or less, the same. These paintings are also known for their simplicity, for the brush and colors used are often derived from natural sources. While the paintings are largely made using powdered rice, colors derived from turmeric, pollen, pigments, indigo, various flowers, sandalwood, and leaves of various plants and trees, etc. Also, many natural sources are combined and are processed to obtain the desired colors. The colors are often prepared by the artists themselves. If the artists come across empty spaces even after completing the painting, they usually fill up those empty spaces with the motifs of flowers, animals, birds and geometrical patterns. A double line is usually drawn as the border.

Romero Britto works

Romero Britto works
Romero Britto works
Romero Britto works

Kerala mural paintings

Kerala mural paintings are the frescos depicting Hindu Mythlogy and legends, which are drawn on the walls of temples and churches in South India.he word 'mural' is derived from the Latin word 'murus', meaning 'wall'. Murals refer to paintings embellished on visual components like the wall, ceiling, or other huge lasting surfaces. The murals of Kerala unfathomably stand out for their prominence in beauty, clarity and symmetry with unmatchable linear accuracy. The peculiarity of Kerala murals is their simple and thematic presentation of idealistic reproduction of hum animals and trees with technical excellence, illustrated with rich and delicate strokes, hued with bright colours which epitomize Kerala Murals. The murals palette consists of five colours namely, yellow, red, green, black and white, prepared from mineral pigments and vegetables. The murals palette consists of five colours or Panchvarna namely, yellow, red, green, black and white, prepared from mineral pigments and vegetables. These paintings belong to a distinguished lineage with its tradition carries influences from Ajanta. The themes are depicted using common iconographic symbols from the Puranas like Ramayana and Mahabharata from the Hindu mythology, which is illustrated highly with brilliance stylistically. The expressions are depicted with artistic mastery.

Romero Britto works

Romero Britto works

Warli Painting

Warli is the name of the largest tribe found in western India. Warli painting is the vivid expression of daily and social life of the Warli tribe, used by them embellish the walls of village house. Mostly women are engaged to creation of this Painting. These paintings do not depict mythological characters or images of deities, but depict social life. Images of human beings and animals, along with scenes from daily life are created in a loose rhythmic pattern. These tribal paintings of Maharashtra are traditionally done in the homes of the Warlis. Painted white on mud walls, they are pretty close to pre-historic cave paintings in execution and usually depict scenes of human figures engaged in activities like hunting, dancing, sowing and harvesting. In Warli paintings it is rare to see a straight line. A series of dots and dashes make one line. The artists have recently started to draw straight lines in their paintings. These days, even men have taken to painting and they are often done on paper incorporating traditional decorative Warli motifs with modern elements such as the bicycle, etc. Warli paintings on paper have become very popular and are now sold all ver India. Today, small paintings are done on cloth and paper but they look best on the walls or in the form of huge murals that bring out the vast and magical world of the Warlis. For the Warlis tradition is still adhered to but at the same time new ideas have been allowed to seep in which helps them face new challenges from the market.

Romero Britto works
Romero Britto works
Romero Britto works

Gond Art

Gond paintings are a form of painting from folk and tribal art that is practiced by one of the largest tribes in India with whom it shares its name. According to the Gond belief system, each and everything whether it is a hill, river, rock or a tree is inhabited by a spirit and, consequently, is sacred. So the Gond people paint them as a form of respect and reverence. Gond paintings are a reflection of man’s close connection with his natural surroundings. However, while a majority of Gond paintings do take inspiration from nature, it isn’t the only source of inspiration. Gond paintings can also take inspiration from myths and legends of India or alternatively, they may also showcase images from the daily lives of the tribe. It can also showcase abstract concepts like emotions, dreams and imagination. Painting in the region has been happening for a really long time as the history of the Gond people dates nearly 1400 years previously, however, the Gond people could just be imitating their ancestors as there are cave paintings in the region that go all the way back to the Mesolithic Period. Paintings, as well as other art forms, have always been quite popular with tribal people in India, especially the Gond tribe. Even amongst the Gond people, it was most prominent among the Pardhan Gonds who were renowned for their artistic skills, be it painting or music. The Gond people have a belief that viewing a good image begets good luck. This belief led the Gond people to decorate the walls as well as the floor of their houses with traditional tattoos and motifs. Gond paintings have also been used by the Gond people as a way to record their history.

Romero Britto works

Romero Britto works
Romero Britto works
Romero Britto works

Pattachitra Painting

It is one of the beautiful Indian art. A spectacular folk art from odisha. Patta means cloth, and Chitra means picture. Pattachitra is a picture painted on a piece of cloth. The intriguing folk paintings are internationally known, and the setting up of centres to teach the art form in Odisha speaks volumes about its consistency and popularity.Almost all of the Chitrakar community hails from a small village in Puri district called Raghurajpur. This is also the only village in India where each family is engaged in crafts, such as patta painting, wooden toys, stone carvings, etc. For Pattachitra painting, the Chitrakars follow a traditional process of preparing the canvas. A gauze-like fine cotton cloth is coated with white stone powder and gum made out of tamarind seeds. This makes the canvass ready to accept the paint, made of natural colors. These colors are an unique feature of Pattachitra. The gum of the kaitha tree is the chief ingredient, used as a base for making different pigments by adding available raw materials. For instance, to get the shade of white, powdered conch shells are used. Over the years the art form has evolved and has experienced discernible changes. The Chitrakars have painted on palm leaves and Tussar silk and have also created wall hangings and showpieces.

Kalighat Painting

Kalighat painting, a school of art founded in the city during the 19th century, is among those rich legacies the country continues to bask in today.This type of painting continues to influence and charm artists and art lovers in contemporary India. Painted mostly on mill-made paper with flowing brushwork and bold dyes (often homemade), Kalighat paintings are said to have originated in the vicinity of the iconic Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata. At this time, the works were sold to visitors who sought souvenirs to take with them from the religious sanctuary. The art almost always depicted Hindu gods and mythological characters, or incidents, themes, and characters from everyday life.In what was dubbed the “Oriental school” of Kalighat painting, predominant themes shone a spotlight on religious figures and scenes from sacred texts, from goddesses Durga and Lakshmi, to the characters of Rama and Sita in the ancient epic poem of Ramayana. Kalighat paintings were often a joint effort by a group of artists – usually from the same family. So while some members ground ingredients to create homemade dyes, others drew outlines of the figures, filled in the hues, or added the final touches in the form of motifs and background designs. These were then typically brought to be sold in the city.

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