Indian miniature painting is the traditional form of painting in India which came to the fore in the 16th-17th century and lasted as the main form of Indian painting till about the late 19th – early 20th century. While western and contemporary styles of painting have become dominant today, to this day there is a community of Indian contemporary Miniature painting artists & artisans keeping the tradition alive.
Schools of Miniature paintings
Miniature paintings have characteristic styles and features depending on the region of India where they were made and the period during which they were made. These different style of painting are referred to as “Schools” of Miniature painting. The major classifications of paintings are – Rajasthan Schools, Pahari or Punjab Hills Schools, Mughal School and Deccan School. Within these different broadly categorized schools experts have identified various sub-schools some of which are listed below:
| Rajasthan Schools of painting | Pahari or Punjab Hills Schools of painting | Deccan Schools of painting |
|---|---|---|
| Mewar School Marwar School Bikaner School Deogarh School Kota School Kishangarh School etc. | Guler School Kangra School Basholi School Bilaspur School Chamba School etc | Golconda School Bijapur School Ahmednagar School etc |
These schools had stylistic features which were often decided by the chief artists of the time, the preferences of the nobility (who were the patrons of art) and the regions that the paintings were painted in. The stylistic features ranged from facial features to clothes to architecture & flora-fauna and even the colour schemes used.
Subjects in Indian Miniature painting
Depending on the school of miniature painting, the paintings depicted popular themes – often from mythology or from popular literature of the times or as depictions of popular themes in Musical Moods or Seasons.
Paintings depicting themes from Classical Indian Music were referred to as Raag-Ragini paintings, and usually consisted a set of 36 paintings depicting the various moods invoked by the various Raags & Raginis. Similarly a set of 12 paintings depicting the various seasons are referred to as the Barah Masa miniature paintings. Portraiture & Hunt paintings were also very popular with the royalty.
Our Contemporary Miniature Painting Collection
The art of miniature painting survives and thrives to this day in India. Although there are fewer & fewer artists as time passes, a small body of artists continue to paint in this style. There still exist a few masters who painstakingly produce original works in authentic styles of miniature paintings using traditional tools & media.
Check out our eclectic collection of authentic contemporary miniature paintings below. All these works are in authentic schools of Indian miniature painting only practised currently by master artists. Many works are in antique finish. Please contact us by whatsapp in case you are interested in any of the miniature paintings below: Click on images to see larger images.