The Pahari Schools of Painting Chapter Notes | Fine Art for Class 12 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

Pahari Schools of Painting: An Overview

• The Pahari Schools of Painting originated in towns such as Basohli, Guler, Kangra, Kullu, Chamba, Mankot, Nurpur, Mandi, Bilaspur, Jammu and others in the hills of western Himalayas from the seventeenth to nineteenth century. The term 'Pahari' denotes hilly or mountainous in origin. The Pahari School of Painting began with the coarsely flamboyant style of Basohli, blossoming into the most exquisite and sophisticated style of Indian painting known as the Kangra School through the Guler or pre-Kangra phase.
• Though all the above centres crafted precisely individualistic characteristics in painting, they do not develop as independent schools with distinctive styles due to paucity of dated material, colophons, and inscriptions. The emergence of the Pahari School remains unclear, but it is widely accepted that Mughal and Rajasthani styles of paintings were known in the hills probably through examples of Provincial Mughal style and family relationships of hill Rajas with the royal courts of Rajasthan.
• Scholars have proposed theories concerning the beginning and influences of the Pahari School, but it is uncertain. The shaping of Pahari style from the simplicity of Basohli to poetic lyricism and refinement of Kangra is attributed to the ingenuity of a family of artists, according to B. N. Goswamy, one of the most significant scholars of the Pahari Schools of Painting. He argues that the family of Pandit Seu (Shiv) was chiefly responsible for the course of Pahari paintings.
• Scholars agree that in the early eighteenth century, the style of the Seu family and others conformed to the Basohli idiom. However, from the middle of the eighteenth century, the style transformed through a pre-Kangra phase, maturing into the Kangra style. This abrupt transformation in style and beginning of experimentation gave rise to varied stylistic idioms related to different Pahari centres, largely ascribed to responses by various artist families and paintings that were introduced in the Pahari kingdoms. Most scholars now dispute the earlier hypothesis that the sudden change was caused and initiated by the migration of artists from the Mughal atelier.
• Compositions, worked out from a relative point of view, show some paintings with decorated margins. Themes that included recording the daily routine or important occasions from the lives of kings, creation of new prototype for female form and an idealised face, are all associated with this newly emerging style that gradually matures to the Kangra phase.

Basohli School and its Development

The Basohli School of painting emerged during the rule of Kirpal Pal from 1678 to 1695. The distinct and magnificent style of Basohli painting is characterised by the strong use of primary colours and warm yellows. The stylised treatment of vegetation and the use of raised white paint for imitating the representation of pearls in ornaments are some of its significant features. However, the most significant characteristic of Basohli painting is the use of small, shiny green particles of beetle wings to delineate jewellery and simulate the effect of emeralds. The Basohli painters' most popular theme was the Rasamanjari of Bhanu Datta, and Bhagvata Purana and Ragamala were other popular themes.

• The Basohli artists also painted portraits of local kings with their consorts, courtiers, astrologers, mendicants, courtesans, and others. Gradually, artist ateliers from Basohli spread to other hill states, such as Chamba and Kullu, giving rise to local variations of the Basohli kalam. During the Guler-Kangra phase, which was from the 1690s to the 1730s, artists indulged in experimentation and improvisations that finally resulted in the Kangra style.
• The Ramayana was one of the favourite texts of the hill artists at Basohli, as well as Kullu. The Shangri set derives its name from the place of residence of a branch of the Kullu royal family, patrons and formerly possessors of this set. These works of Kullu artists were influenced in varying degrees by the styles of Basohli and Bilaspur. The paintings from this set depict Rama learning of his exile and preparing to leave Ayodhya along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana.
• One of the paintings from the Shangri set portrays Rama and Lakshmana accompanying sage Vishvamitra to the forest to defeat the demons who would distress the hermits by disturbing their meditative practices and contaminating their rituals. The painting features a clever fragmentary portrayal of animals, half-hidden in the heavy outgrowth. The fractional representation of animals adds mystery to the work as there is a possibility of them being demons in disguise. Another interesting feature of this painting is the representation of animals, stealthily prowling behind trees, which lends character to the forest as a thick impenetrable jungle, populated with ferocious animals hiding everywhere, and adds an emotive value to the painting regarding the extraordinary courage of the two young princes.

Overall, the Basohli School of painting played a significant role in shaping the painting styles of various hill states, and its legacy continues to influence art in the region.

Guler School

The Guler School of Pahari painting emerged in the early 18th century under the patronage of Raja Govardhan Chand of Guler, a branch of the Kangra royal family. This phase, also known as the pre-Kangra or Guler-Kangra kalam, was initiated by artist Pandit Seu and his sons Manak and Nainsukh, who transformed the earlier Basohli style to a more refined, elegant one.

Evolution of the Guler School

Manak and Nainsukh, especially the latter, played a crucial role in shaping the Guler School, which is characterized by delicate pastel shades and bold expanses of white or grey. Many sons and grandsons of Manak and Nainsukh worked at other centres and contributed to the finest examples of Pahari paintings.

Long tradition of paintings

Haripur-Guler has a long tradition of paintings, with evidence of artists working there since the reign of Dalip Singh, before the beginning of the Guler-Kangra phase. Bishan Singh's and his son's portraits dating back to earlier than the 1730s can be found.

Manak's outstanding work: Manak's most outstanding work is a set of Gita Govinda painted in 1730 at Guler, which retains some of the elements of the Basohli style, such as the lavish use of beetle's wing casings.

Nainsukh's work

Nainsukh appears to have left his hometown in Guler and moved to Jasrota, where he became the court painter of Balwant Singh, the son and successor of Mian Zoravar Singh. Nainsukh's celebrated pictures of Balwant Singh offer a unique visual record of the patron's life, portraying him engaged in various activities. Nainsukh's genius was for individual portraiture, which became a salient feature of the later Pahari style.

Prakash Chand's court: Prakash Chand, Govardhan Chand's successor, had sons of Manak and Nainsukh, Khushala, Fattu, and Gaudhu as artists in his court.

Kangra School of Painting

The Kangra School of Painting originated in the Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh, India. It blossomed under the patronage of Raja Sansar Chand, who established supremacy of Kangra over all surrounding hill states. Sansar Chand was a generous patron of art and established a large studio with artists from Guler and other areas. The Kangra style is known for its poetic and lyrical quality, as well as its serene beauty and delicacy of execution. This note will discuss the distinctive features of the Kangra style of painting, its popular themes, and the important painters associated with the style.

The Origin and Patronage of Kangra School

The Kangra School of Painting is believed to have originated in the atelier of Manaku, a master artist who took service under Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra. Sansar Chand belonged to the Katoch dynasty of rulers who had been ruling the Kangra region for a long time until Jahangir conquered their territory in the seventeenth century and made them his vassals. After the decline of the Mughal power, Raja Ghamand Chand, Sansar Chand's grandfather, recovered most of the territory and founded his capital town of Tira Sujanpur on the banks of river Beas and constructed fine monuments. He also maintained an atelier of artists. Sansar Chand ascended to the throne at the tender age of 10 years after the kingdom had been restored to its earlier glory by his grandfather. Tira Sujanpur emerged as the most prolific centre of painting under his patronage. Later in his life, Sansar Chand shifted to Nadaun, where the most matured paintings of the Kangra style were painted. All these centres were on the banks of river Beas.

Distinctive Features of Kangra School

The Kangra style is known for its delicacy of line, brilliance of colour, and minuteness of decorative details. The delineation of the female face, with a straight nose in line with the forehead, is the most distinctive feature of this style. This feature came in vogue around the 1790s. The Kangra style soon spread from Tira Sujanpur to Garhwal in the east and Kashmir in the west.

Themes and Subjects

The most popular themes that were painted in the Kangra School were the Bhagvata Purana, Gita Govinda, Nala Damayanti, Bihari Satsai, Ragamala, and Baramasa. Many other paintings comprise a pictorial record of Sansar Chand and his court. He is shown sitting by the riverside, listening to music, watching dancers, presiding over festivals, practising tent pegging and archery, drilling troops, and so on and forth.

Important Painters of Kangra School

Fattu, Purkhu, and Khushala are important painters of the Kangra style. During Sansar Chand's reign, the production of Kangra School was far greater than any other hill state. The Kangra style is marked by the works of various master artists, including Manaku, who established the atelier of Kangra School under Raja Sansar Chand.

Awaiting Krishna and the Hesitant Radha

The contribution of artists Manak or Manaku and Nainsukh in maneuvering the Pahari painting style from Basohli to Kangra is immense. Their sons represent the glorious period of Kangra. This painting belongs to the Guler-Kangra phase where experimentation for change had already been initiated. Gita Govinda is Manaku's most outstanding set of works, composed by Jayadeva.

Description of Gita Govinda

Gita Govinda begins with the description of how Radha and Krishna fall in love on the banks of river Yamuna. The poet then describes the sports of Krishna with other gopis. Ignored by Krishna, heartbroken Radha sulks in a bower as her friend, sakhi, describes how Krishna continues to wander with the pretty cowherd girls. After some time, Krishna feels remorseful and starts looking for Radha, and on not finding her, laments for her. The messenger goes to Radha and tells her of the longing of Krishna for her. Ultimately, she persuades her to meet him and what follows is the mystic union.

Characterization of Radha and Krishna

Although the characters are divine and enact the play at a philosophical plane, where Radha is a devotee or soul, and Krishna, the cosmic power, in whom she is to be drowned, the love sport played here is rather human. In this painting, Radha is shown feeling shy and hesitant as she approaches the forested area, while Krishna is seen eagerly waiting for her.

Source of the artist's imagination
The source to the artist's imagination is the inscription on the reverse of the painting, which is translated as follows: "Radha! Sakhis have come to know the secret that your soul is intent on the warfare of love. Now, abandon your shyness, let your girdle tinkle merrily and go ahead to meet your beloved. Radha! Lead yourself with some favoured maid; grasp her hands with your fingers that are soft and smooth as love’s arrows. March and let the jingle of your bangles proclaim your approach to your loved one."

Nanda, Yashoda, and Krishna in Pahari Painting

This section discusses a painting from the Bhagvata Purana, depicting Nanda with his family and relatives, travelling to Vrindavan. The painting, which belongs to the Kangra school, portrays Nanda leading the group on his bullock cart, followed by another cart carrying Krishna, Balaram, Yashoda, and Rohini. Men, women, and children accompany them, carrying household items. The painting showcases the amazing observation and excellent skill of the Kangra painters. The tilt of their heads, expressions, and activities are intriguingly detailed. The Kangra painters acutely observe the landscape and represent it naturalistically, with flush-cut composition adding to the naturalism of the painting.