Syllabus 2024-25

• Unit 1 – The Rajasthani and Pahari Schools of Miniature Painting.
• Unit 2 – The Mughal and Deccan Schools of Miniature Painting.
• Unit 3 – The Bengal School of Painting and the Modern Trends in Indian Art.

Unit – 1 

The Rajasthani and Pahari Schools of Miniature Painting 

(A.) The Rajasthani School of Miniature Painting—

Origin and Development:

Rajasthani School was a continuation of old Indian tradition. This art was developed under the Rajput kings. In the beginning, this school had Mughal influence, but later it was established as a purely Indian art having no Mughal influence. Rajasthani School did not originate as miniature, but it was primarily a mural art.
During the attack of Mughals, the whole Rajasthan was affected but Mewar remained safe till the end. So, Rajasthani School flourished first in Mewar. Later, it flourished in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bundi, Kishangarh, Bikaner and other places of Rajasthan. Kishan Singh ruled at Kishangarh. After Kishan Singh, Raja Sawant Singh’s son Raja Raj Singh ruled Kishangarh and art reached its climax. Raja Sawant Singh was also a very famous king of Kishangarh. Rajasthan was a place of ‘Raja’ (Kings) or place of ‘States’. That’s why it was known as Rajasthan. Rajasthani Art had purely Hindu feelings and had Indian sensibility.

CBSE Class 12 Fine Arts Syllabus 2024-2025 PDF

The Main Characteristics or features of Rajasthani School of Miniature Painting :

• Variety in Themes :There is a great variety in themes of Rajasthani Paintings. Themes are based on seasons, music, hunting scenes, religious themes like Ramayana, Mahabharata etc., love scenes, ragmala series etc. In love scenes, Krishna and Radha have been depicted.
• Colour Scheme : The main colours used are the primary colours (red, yellow & blue), green, brown and white. Other colours in use are golden and silver.
• Costumes : Females are wearing Lehanga and Choli with Transparent Dupatta. Males are wearing turbans and Jhoba (a group of threads), pyjama and Patka.
• Facial features : Faces are full of emotions and feelings according to the mood. The faces are in profile, elongated and oval, the forhead is inclining downwards, long and pointed nose, swelling out lips and pointed chin.
• Depiction of women : The women of Kishangarh School are very impressive.
• Lines : The lines are very fine, powerful and rhythmic.
• Depiction of Nature : Nature has also been depicted very beautifully. Different types of trees, floral trees, mountains, water springs and lakes have been depicted in a very attractive manner.

CBSE Class 12 Fine Art NCERT Textbook

TITLE	ARTIST	SUB-SCHOOL
Maru-Ragini	Sahibdin	Mewar
Raja Anirudh Singh Hara	Utkal Ram	Bundi
Chaugan Players	Dana	Jodhpur
Krishna on Swing	Nuruddin	Bikaner
Radha (Bani-Thani)	Nihal Chand	Kishangarh
Bharat meets Rama at Chitrakut	Guman	Jaipur

Maru-Ragini (Sahibdin):

The love story of Dhola – Maru is very popular in Rajasthan and is narrated both in Murals and miniature paintings. The composition of the painting is divided into two parts. Dhola and Maru are shown seated under a yellow canopy with a red curtain in the upper part of the composition. Dhola is dressed in typical aristocratic attire complete with weapons like sword and shield, facing his lover Maru in Rajasthani costume. The lower part of the composition shows Maru caressing her pet camel. Both the figures are prominent against a green background dotted with flower motifs. Stylished motifs of trees are bringing a unity in the composition.

Bharat meets Rama at Chitrakuta (Guman):-

This one is a very popular episode of Ramayana, largely known as “Bharat milap”. The painting depicts the emotional moment when Bharata, the whole incident is taking place at the jungle of Chirakuta where Rama stayed for few days. Painter Guman has done wonderful presentation of forty nine figures on a small canvas relating an entire story in episodic from bringing the same figures in groups for Rama to express his desire of carrying out his father’s wishes. Rama’s cottage is dimly seen in the right hand corner and there is a bunch of banana grove beyond that. There is profusion of green in the whole painting for the background. In the foreground, there is a pound-like stretch of water possibly a part of the river Sarayu blooming lotuses and colours use are green, blue, yellow and white very dexterously. It is a very well executed painting of Jaipur School.

(B.) The Pahari School of Miniature Painting—

Origin and Development:-

Gular is the supposed to be the place of origin of Pahari School according to different scholars. Some scholars consider Basohli as the origin place of Pahari School. In 1780 A.D., the ‘Gular Kalam’ was at its peak. Then it entered Kangra and came to be known as ‘Kangra Kalam’. Aurangzeb was a cruel Mughal ruler, He hated painting and music. So, most of the Mughal artist went to hill where they got shelter and there they invented a different new style of painting known as Pahari School of Art. In the beginning, Pahari School flourished as a folk art, but after getting patronage from king of that place who were religious-minded, it came to be known as ‘Pahari Kalam’.

Some scholars consider Gular as the place of origin of Pahari School for many different reasons. Firstly, the kings of Gular had friendly relations with Mughal emperors. There can be the possibility that the artist from Gular might have shifted to Delhi or the Mughal artists might have shifted to Gular as it was nearer place for shelter and they might have renewed the folk art Gular by adding some newness to it. Some scholars consider that due to Aurangzeb’s cruelity, Mughal artist might have shifted to Basohli and according to them, Basohli which flourished under Raja Kirpal Pal is the origin place of Pahari School.

The oldest Kangra paintings are connected with Gular where Raja Goverdhan Chand and his family have been depicted. After him Raja Prakash Chand and then Raja Bhoop Singh came into power. Then under Raja Sansar Chand’s patronage, finest paintings were created. This Raja Sansar Chand’s period is considered to be the ‘Golden Period’ of Kangra School.

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The Main Characteristics or features of Pahari School of Miniature Painting :‐

• Depiction of Women : Faces of women are in profile and are round in shape. Their nose is almost in line with forehead, eyes are long, narrow and expressive like bows and the chin is sharp.
• Depiction of line : Rhythmic lines have been depicted which are smooth in nature and are very fine. The drawings of eyes are very fine and worth praising.
• Colour Scheme : Mostly Primary colours have been used. Some colours like pink, mauve, grey and green have also been used. Golden colour is used in large scale. Thered coloured borders have been used having an influence of Mughal Style. The colours are strong and contrasting. In the garments and ornaments, golden and silver colours have been used. The lightning has been shown through silver colour.
• Garments : Choli, Lehanga and Transparent Odhanis have been worn by women. Male have been shown in Pyjamas, Turban and Angrakhas.
• Depiction of Nature : Trees, clouds, jungales, mountains, foliagr, rivers, aquatic birds etc. have been depicted beautifully. The rainy season and lighening effects have been nicely painted.
• Perspective : In spite of having no proper perspective, the Pahari paintings appeal to us.
• Romantic Scenes : Many romantic scenes have been found in Pahari style. Krishna symbolizes ‘God’ (Hero) and Radha symbolizes ‘Soul’ (Heroine) in many of these painting.

TITLE	ARTIST	SUB-SCHOOL
Krishna with Gopies	Manaku	Basohli
Bharat Worshipping Charan-Padukas of Rama	Unknown	Guler
Cosmic Dance of Shiva	Unknown	Chamba
Nand, Yashoda and Krishna with Kinsmen going to Vrindavana	Nainsukh	Kangra
Radha and Krishna Looking into a Mirror	Unknown	Garhwal

Krishna with Gopies (Manaku):- 

The painting ‘Krishna with Gopies’ is based on Jaydwa’s ‘Geat-Gobinda’- painted by famous painter Manaku. It is supposed that it was painted for a private patron Malini. The painting presents Krishna surrounded by Gopies singing and dancing on the back of river Yamuna. The composition is in typical Basholi style with geometrical pattern. The use of bold colour infused vitality in the painting. Krishna is wearing a bright yellow dress with his upper body naked but ornamented. He is also wearing a crown with jewels and peacock plumes.

There is no use of perspective but colour combination with golden background has been given sufficient depth to the painting. The clarity of the designs and lines and intensity of felling is achieved by the use of colour like golden yellow, Vermilion mixed with colour tones of blue and green enhancing the felling of intensity and the beauty of the painting. In this painting, the human figures a backward sloping forehead, lotus like large eyes, high nose almost in the same line of forehead and powerful bodies presented idealistic body symmetry and lent distinction to the Gopies figure.

The shining emerald in the ornaments pieces of iridescent bettle-wings are used in the illustration of the jewels. Besides the bold colour lustrous enamel like colour is also employed. The figure of women are shown clad in rich costumers, stylized faces, bulging eyes lend a natural stage like setting for the group. This is one of the best paintings drawn by Manaku expressing the beauty and brilliance of Basholi style. Bharat Worshipping 

Charan-Padukas of Rama:- 

In this painting has been painted the episode of the Ramayana in which has been shown Bharat having been substituted Rama’s Padukas on an ornamented bedstead at an appropriate place in Ayodhya, worshipping them with his councilors. To protect Rama’s Padukas, they have encircled with a canopy or tent that has been fixed under a tall tree and to honour them double-levelled royal umbrellas have been installed.

Numerous official in vivid dresses of the Mughal style are standing, with folding hands, in queues; whereas one man has shown doing obeisance in Islamic style. The leaves of the trees have been painted very delicately. In background, there are hills. In right side, on a height, has been shown a white palace. Down that in the valley has been shown running a river. In back side has been shown indistinct and obscure figures.

Cosmic Dance of Shiva:-

This miniature painting belongs to Chamba (Pahari) sub-school. In dark background has been shown Shiva doing cosmic dance. In left side have been shown, standing in motley costumes, mother Parvati, child Ganesh, Kartikeya and ox Nandi, who are watching Shiva engaged in dancing. In right side has been shown Banasura playing on the Tambourine Mridang and other devotees of Shiva playing on the various musical instruments. Shiva’s hair are scattered in form of tangled hair.

There is a snake round his neck and down the loins is tied skin of a tiger. In this painting, the sky has been shown in dark blue colour to specify white cloud, on that has been made a white stripe. This painting, very simply, presents the glimpse of divine mysticism. Nand, Yashoda and Krishna with 

Kinsmen going to Vrindavana (Nainsukh):-

In this painting, the inhabitants of Gokul as well as Nand, Yashoda and Krishna have been shown going to Vrindavana. Based on episode of Bhagvat Puran and painted in Kangra style. In this painting have been shown thirteen human figures. Three of them have been shown swimming in the Yamuna. Rest of the figures have been shown in various countenances and wearing clothes of vivid colours, on other side of the river. Krishna has been shown in blue colour, half naked but wearing different ornaments made of gold. There is a golden crown on his head.

All the persons are half naked except Nand and Yashoda. One other crowned person, who has put on blue-coloured costume, is possibly Balram, raising one of his hands up is signaling towards Vrindavana. All the human figures have worn stripped clothes down the loins and their heads have have also been covered with multi-coloured cloth. On left bank of the river, there is a bird sitting on a cut stem of a heavy tree. On other stem has also been shown a sitting bird. In right side of the painting is a tree on which have been shown coiled round creepers.

In the background, there is sky surrounded with clouds, and through them are peeping out the golden buildings of Vrindavana. The ground of the other side of the river has been shown filled with greenery.

Radha and Krishna Looking into a Mirror:-

This painting was painted in Garhwal (Pahari) style; in this painting have been shown Radha and Krishna sitting in balcony side on a well trimmed yellow coloured bedsheet bed. Krishna has been holding a mirror in one of his hands, and Radha-Krishna are very intently looking at each other’s image into that. Two female attendants are sitting in opposite directions in the front side of the painting; one of them has turned her neck towards Radha-Krishna and enjoying seeing them sitting together. The interior part of this mansion has been decorated with a peculiar combination of light yellow and white colours. Out of balcony have been shown flowering plants. In this painting, the rhythm city of lines and placidity of colours is matchless.