5 famous Traditional Indian Paintings

Have you had the opportunity to see the artforms of India in person, or perhaps even try your hand at creating your own?

India’s rich cultural tapestry is interwoven with a multitude of art forms that have mesmerized audiences around the world.

The rich cultural diversity of Indian art is well reflected in the vivid, distinct, and enchanting folk art and crafts. Various painting styles are prevalent across various regions, each representing traditions, customs, and ideologies passed on from one generation and other.

Whether you are an art enthusiast, collector, or simply looking to learn about Indian culture, exploring these traditional Indian 

painting styles is a fascinating and rewarding journey.

Madhubani painting

Traditionally done by the women of villages around Madhubani town, Bihar, it is also called Mithila paintings. The paintings have a common theme and are usually drawn from religious motifs of the Hindus, including Krishna, Rama, Durga, Lakshmi, and Shiva.

The figures in the painting are symbolic; for example, fish depict good luck and fertility. The paintings are also made to depict auspicious occasions like birth, marriage, and festivals.

These paintings were painted on walls using rice paste and vegetable colors on a base of cow dung and mud. With time, the base changed to handmade paper, clothes, and canvas.

Features include: no shading, two-dimensional, double-line borders, bold use of colors, ornate floral patterns, and exaggerated facial features.

Warli painting

The name of the painting comes from the people who have been carrying the painting tradition that goes back to 2500-3000 BC. They are called the Warlis, indigenous people who occupy mainly the Gujarat-Maharashtra border.

These ritualistic paintings have a central motif of a chaukat or chauk, which is surrounded by scenes portraying fishing, hunting, farming, dances, animals, trees, and festivals. 

These paintings are done on walls using basic graphic vocabulary, including a triangle, a circle, and a square. The base is made of a mixture of mud, branches, and cow dung that gives it a red ochre color. For painting, only white pigment is used, which is made of a mixture of gum and rice powder.

Warli, with its linear and monochromatic hues, resembles the execution of pre-historic cave paintings.

Tanjore paintings

The Thanjavur or Tanjore school is famous for its special style of decorative paintings. The painting reached its zenith under the patronage of Maharaja Serfoji II of the Maratha dynasty, who was a great patron of the art.

The Maratha rulers immensely patronised them during the 18th century. These paintings are unique as they are mostly created on glass and wooden planks (palagai padams) instead of cloth and vellum as preferred in some parts of India.

They are unique because of the use of brilliant colour patterns and the liberal use of gold leaf. The artisans use many types of gemstones and cut glasses for embellishments to create larger than life images.

Want to have a beautiful experience with these traditional Tanjore paintings, without delay, visit Ethnic Tanjore Arts and fall in love with their enchanting collections of 100% handmade Tanjore paintings.

Pattachitra painting

A traditional painting of Odisha, the name Pattachitra comes from the Sanskrit word patta, which means canvas/cloth and chitra, which means picture. Patachitra on palm leaves is known as tala pattachitra. 

The paintings show a mix of classical and folk elements, with a bias towards the latter. The base of the painting is treated cloth, while the colors used come from natural sources. To obtain the white color, sea shells are ground, soaked, and heated to obtain a milky paste.

The color green is obtained from leaves and stones. Black color, by placing an earthen plate over the smoke of a burning wick, which is thickened and collected.

Once the final lines are drawn, the painting is given a coating of lacquer to give it a glossy finish. The themes of these paintings are inspired from Jagannath and Vaishnava cults, and sometimes from Shakti and Shaiva cults as well.

Kalamkari painting

The name comes from kalam, i.e, a pen which is used to paint these exquisite paintings. The pen used is made of sharp-pointed bamboo, used to regulate the flow of colors.

The base is cotton fabric, while the colors used are vegetable dyes. The pen is soaked in a mixture of fermented jaggery and water; one by one, these are applied, and thereafter, the vegetable dyes are applied. 

The main centers for this art are Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The images are drawn freehand and the inspiration comes from Hindu mythology. 

Kalamkari painting had its existence even during the Vijayanagara empire. It has received GI status.

Conclusion

The world of painting is very colorful and expressive. Art reflects the human sense of aesthetics and is a product of human culture.

The uniqueness of Indian art is the fusion of various folk arts. These art designs are diverse and reflect our rich cultural heritage.

From madhubani and kalamkari to warli and pattachitra, these artforms showcase the artistic traditions, spiritual beliefs, and everyday life of the country.

And of course, don’t forget to support these talented artists by embracing their beautiful and unique works of art. One such stunning gallery for Thanjavur painting in India is Ethnic Tanjore arts. Visit now for a blissful experience.