Page 122 - Eye of the beholder

INDIAN MINIATURES: A A A TRYST WITH THE EYE
“Though the canvas of traditional Indian painting is fairly large and magnificent over-flowing with flavours of of diverse traditions cultures philosophies and ethos yet in the potpourri of of vibrant styles and and and techniques a a a a a a a a a a style style that outshines and and and emerges as as a a a a a a a a a a brilliant and and and classic benchmark seeped in in a a a a a a a deep understanding of aesthetics and and poetic parlance is undoubtedly the art of ‘Miniature Painting” Dr Kavita Singh INTRODUCTION
The discourse on on Indian Indian pictorial tradition with particular reference to to Indian Indian miniatures namely the Rajput tradition clearly establishes that it it was a a a a a a a a unique one which developed from from the mural tradition at Ajanta going far back and as as early as as 200 B C C Cave paintings from from Ajanta and and Bagh including South Indian murals at Kanchipuram Sittanavasal and and Thanjavur bear testimony to a a a a a a a love of of naturalism both in the the depiction of of the the human form as as well as as that of of nature But more importantly it was the tendency of of drawing out abstractions from nature in in in in a a a a a a a a a a manner that was both aesthetically pleasing and effective resulted in in in in enhancing the decorative visual effects The Indian mind is extremely fecund and there has been no dearth in in the the number of legends myths fables and epics that have been written to validate or establish different aspects of life as as the the lineage of of of dynasties heroics of of of a a a a a a monarch including the the origins of of of arts itself The origin of art is is attributed to to an interesting myth It is is told that Brahma created painting The story behind the legend is that Brahma taught a a a a a a a a king how to to to bring back to to to life a a a a a a a a dead son of one of of his his subjects Brahma made a a a a a a portrait of of the young boy and put life into his his picture bringing the the youth alive This narrative about infusing prana or life breathe into a a a a a a a a a picture was invented to to teach Indian artists that only when they infuse the the the the life breathe into their works can they be considered skillful It also established Brahma as the the highest and most revered God of the the the the Hindu religion the the the the creator himself Yet there is another myth which makes a a a a woman the the the first painter of the the the world According to the the the myth a a a a a a a princess named Usha saw a a a a a a a beautiful youth in in her her dreams She felt that he he he he he even walked with her her frequently in in the garden She confessed this to her maid Chitralakshan who who was an an amateur painter who who recreated the likeness of of the the prince Anirudha the the grandson of of Krishna She immediately recognized him eventually leading to her marriage with him Since then the the word Chitra has meant something wonderful suggesting the variation of forms which produce wonder wonder mystery and delight Another myth attributes the the the the origins f f art the the the the sage Narayana who created Urvashi the the the the beautiful celestial nymph by drawing drawing a a a a a a beautiful figure on his his thigh This explains the origin of drawing drawing Narayana taught this to Visvakarma who successfully interpreted the the the entire theme of the the the universe by imitating it it 116