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| Fresco from Ajanta caves, c. 450–500 |
Indian painting has a very long tradition and history in Indian Art. The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of pre - historic times. Some of the Stone Age rock paintings found among the Bhimbetka rock shelters are approximately 30,000 years old. The paintings of the Ajanta Caves are the most significant of the few survivals. Mughal painting represented a fusion of the Persian miniature with older Indian traditions, and from the 17th century its style was diffused across Indian princely courts of all religions, each developing a local style. Company paintings were made for British clients under the British raj, which from the 19th century also introduced art schools along Western lines, leading to modern Indian painting, which is increasingly returning to its Indian roots. Indian paintings provide an aesthetic continuum that extends from the early civilisation to the present day. From being essentially religious in purpose in the beginning, Indian painting has evolved over the years to become a fusion of various cultures and traditions.
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| 17th-century Mughal painting. |
Sadanga of Indian painting
Genres of Indian painting
Murals
Eastern India painting
Western Indian Miniature Painting.
Malwa, Deccan and Jaunpur schools of painting
Mughal painting
Rajput painting
Mysore painting
Tanjore painting
Madhubani painting
Pattachitra
Contextual Modernism
Vernacular Indian Painting
Modern Indian Painting
Abanindranath Tagore
Abanindranath Tagore, the nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, was born on 7th August 1871. He was one of the most prominent artists of the Bengal school of painting, along with being the first major supporter of swadeshi values in the Indian art.
Amrita Shergill
Amrita Shergill, one of the most famous painters of India, was born on 30th January 1913 in Budapest city of Hungary. Her father, Umrao Singh Shergill Majithia was a Sikh aristocrat, who was a scholar in Sanskrit. Her mother was a Hungarian singer, Marie Antoinette Gottesmann.
F.N. Souza
Francis Newton Souza was born in the year 1924 in Saligao, a small town in the state of Goa. Tragedy struck him at a very young age, when he lost his father. He was also bogged down by a serious attack of small pox. Such incidences provoked him to create his own niche in this world.
Jamini Roy
Jamini Roy was one of the greatest painters of the 20th century. He was born in the year 1887, at Beliator village in Bankura district of Bengal. His father, Ramataran Roy, was a middle class man who resigned from government service to pursue his interest in art.
Jatin Das
Jatin Das was born in the year 1941 in the Mayurbhanj district of Orissa. He is counted amongst the most creative artists of India and is proficient in painting, graphic art, sculpture, murals and even poetry. Jatin Das received training in the field of art at Sir J. J. School of Art in Bombay.
M.F. Hussain
M.F. Hussain, or Maqbool Fida Hussain, was born on 17th September 1915 in Pandharpur town of Maharashtra. He is one of the most famous artists of India, both at the national as well as the international level.
Nandlal Bose
Nandlal Bose was born in December 1882 in Bihar. A protégé of Havell and Abanindranath, he is today regarded as one of the most prominent artists of the modern India. Nandlal Bose attended Calcutta Government College of Art between 1905 and 1910.
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore was a multitalented personality. He was a Bengali poet, a Brahmo Samaj philosopher, a visual artist, a playwright, a novelist, a painter and a composer, all combined into one. Rabindranath Tagore started composing art works at a very tender age.
Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma was born on 29th April 1848, in Kilimanoor, a small town of Kerala. He is known for his amazing paintings, which revolve mainly around the great epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana.
Satish Gujral
Satish Gujral is one of the greatest as well as the most versatile artists of the Indian subcontinent. He is known for making some of the most exquisite paintings, graphics, murals and sculptures, apart from indulging in architecture and interior designing.
S.H. Raza
S.H. Raza was born as Syed Haider Raza in the year 1922, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. One of the most distinguished artists of the Indian subcontinent, Raza has been settled in France since 1950. However, his ties with India remain as strong as ever.
Tyeb Mehta
One of the internationally recognized artists of India, Tyeb Mehta is a multitalented individual. Apart from being an exceptionally good painter, he is also a brilliant filmmaker.
