Art fact -Indian Miniature Painting

Many believe that miniature paintings in India was introduced by the muhammadan invaders from the West but it was not. There are several references to miniature portraits in early literature, such as those by Kalidas in Shakuntalam and Dandin in Dashakumaracharita written in the 7th century A.D. The Shilpa shastra deals with miniature painting and, in spite of social significance and value of mural painting, art galleries or chitrasalas existed for a restricted audience which could appreciate and comprehend paintings on wood, cloth, particularly as these were often accompanied by the written word, a practise which was to lead to the development of illustrated palm-leaf manuscripts.

The earliest miniatures belong to the Pala period in north-eastern India which were representations of the Buddhist yantra, graphic symbols which were visual aids to the mantra and the Dharani. Buddhist miniatures deify Buddhist thought such as Prajnaparamita. Miniatures were painted according to rules of mural painting, the rule of proportions being regulated by strict codes of measurement. The buddhist paintings were drawn in red and white colours. Though related to the larger mural painting, the principal characters and symbols gradually started disappearing. The miniature painting gradually acquired the independence to follow new paths. The Jain miniature paintings consisted of warm colour tones but muted, with the exception of the azure blues and bright reds. The ornamentation was increased to result in heavy stylisation.

From the Jain paintings resulted the school of Gujarat, from where it spread to Rajasthan and Malwa.

- Excerpts from the article by Nandita Krishna for Vivekananda Kendra Patrika