Page 126 - Eye of the beholder

spirit. Rasa is empathy as opposed to sympathy. The artist creates a situation that the viewer enters a world of illusion or Maya and this leads the rasika or aesthete to a state of empathy.
The Natya Shastra describes the nine rasas or nava rasas as the basis of all human emotions or bhava. Rasa encompasses not just emotions but various aspects that give rise to emotions. This duality is part of every rasa in varying degrees. The principal human feelings, according to Bharata and categorized as Nava Rasa, or emotions, include Shringara (love/beauty), Hasya(laughter), Karuna (sorrow), Raudra (anger), Veera ( heroism/courage), Bhayanaka (terror/fear), Bhibatsa (disgust), Adbhuta (surprise/wonder), and Shantha (peace or tranquility). These rasas comprise the components of aesthetic experience. Bhava or emotions is the state of mind while rasa is the aesthetic experience that results from that bhava. The bhava will have no meaning in the absence of rasa.
In the context of Indian miniatures the rasa most favoured by the patron and artist alike was the Sringara rasa and was considered the Rajarasa or the king of rasas.
MATERIALS MEDIUM AND TECHNIQUE
The technique and process of painting, the use of colours, tools as well as the conventions and canons of art criticism were the theme of texts on painting. The Chitrasutra in the Vishnudharmottara [7th century C.E.] was the one standard text in India. It was the oldest and had the most valuable material on the classification of pictures, painting materials, merits and defects of painting as well as practical hints for the painter. Vishnudharmottara covers many subjects like dance, music, architecture, grammar, sculpture prose including painting. Stress was laid on the close relationship among fine arts, dance, music and art. The Samarangana Sutradhara, a text written by King Bhoja in the 14th century was mainly on architecture but had small section in painting, particularly from the point of view of rasas to be portrayed in pictures. Silparatana a 16th century text by Srikumara had a section titled Chitralakshana. It listed five primary colours white, black, red, blue and yellow. It also prescribed varieties of brushes, poses, light and shade, mixing of colours, application of gold and its burnishing was explained.
After the painting surface had been prepared, specialists start the making of color pigments. The colours used in miniatures are generally derived from natural sources and materials. Some paintings use pure gold and other precious gems from which the colour is extracted. Only natural elements were used: minerals, vegetables, precious stones, organic inks and dyes, conch shells, pure gold, silver, zinc, lead and more. Preparing a pigment from a hard mineral is a three-step process. The stone is first ground by hand with mortar and pestle to produce a fine powder. This is filtered in a series of washes to remove any additives and impurities that would decrease the pigment’s luster. The pigment must then be bound, which was considered the most crucial step. Binding added fluidity making the pigment water soluble and stabilizes it. The binding medium is gum Arabic, the crystallized sap of the babul tree. The pigments are mixed with water and this gum for months to achieve a smooth, evenly spreadable paste. Even a small lump in the pigment would leave a patch that would ruin the painting.
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