Indian Art Through Ages - Challenging Norms from Chola, to Colonial, and Beyond

Indian artwork has always stood out expressing different emotions and showcasing the wide range of traditions, be it intricately detailed Mughal miniature paintings, Mysore murals, or Madhubani paintings, amongst many more. It is linked to the diverse culture of India, portraying the history and mythology, and explaining the socio-political norms of that particular time.

Illustration by The Geostrata

Indian artists have also used paintings as a form of expressing resentment and challenging social norms, expressing the patriarchy present in that particular period of time. They have used their canvases to express the patriarchal constructs and raise their voices to change them, expressing the unspoken struggles of people around them.

In this article, key periods in Indian artwork will be discussed, namely, pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial, as well as how they challenged societal norms and transitioned into the post-colonial period. Analysing the differences in art styles across different periods and what their impact was, along with highlighting important works of artists.

PRE-COLONIAL ART

Chola Dynasty:

The Chola Dynasty ruled the southern part of India throughout the Tungabhadra River, the dynasty was known to have maritime and naval prowess and used to conduct trade through sea. It ruled the state for over three centuries, till the 13th century C.E. 

Furthermore, sculptures and murals gained cultural prominence during their rule, playing a significant role in their artistic legacy. Murals often depicted Hindu scriptures, including Ramayan and Mahabharat. They also sculpted Hindu deities. These murals gained cultural prominence throughout the ages.

They are intricately detailed, and a use of vibrant colours can be seen throughout the murals. Another significant aspect of the sculptures in the Chola dynasty were the sculptures made of bronze, which are famous for their depiction of Lord Shiva. Throughout times, bronze grew in importance and is still being used in making sculptures and temple processions across the world.

The style of the murals was focused on the Indian classical style of painting, which included using natural pigments like gold leaves as accessories, vibrant colours, use of fine lines, and depiction of the divine. These murals depict the cultural and social values of that period, many murals have been restored and protected to save this artistic legacy from the Chola Dynasty.

While talking about other Indian forms of art and paintings, it is essential that historically appreciated forms of art like Madhubani, Kalighat, and Mysore Murals are also talked about.

Madhubani paintings originated in the Mithila region of Bihar, somewhere around 7-8 century BCE. The use of contrasting colours in Madhubani paintings is a major point of significance.

Symbolism through styles like making parallel lines in the paintings, meaning duality of the paintings, adding on to that,  use of symmetrical patterns has also been observed making the paintings eye-catching. Some major themes that can be observed in Madhubani paintings were focussing on the Hindu religion, showing different scenes from mythologies, expressing the social conditions at that time like agriculture, weddings, and the scenes from the Royal Court. 

Kangra paintings are another type of paintings that emerged around the eighteenth century under the rule of Raja Sansar Chand. These paintings are well known for their precise attention to minute details, expression and portrayal of femininity, and the divine. In many paintings, portrayal of the ‘woman gaze’ has been observed as well, scenes portraying Radha Krishna and portrayal of river Yamuna. 

Mughal Miniature Paintings:

During the Mughal rule in India, a specific type of artform flourished, known as Mughal Miniature paintings. These paintings are especially known for their intricate details on the design and symbolism through the portrayals of different and unique scenes of everyday life, for example, paintings of courtrooms, portraits, and historical events.

The Mughal empire brought a different style of paintings that included a fusion of Persian, Indian, and Central Asian elements in its style. While talking about the Persian elements, Persian miniatures were also famous at that time, which further influenced the Mughal miniature paintings.

Their art style is focused and known for their delicate brushwork and intricate lines. The use of Mughal miniature paintings was to illustrate historical scenes, manuscripts, and artbooks, these paintings were very small in size, they used vibrant colours, and were highly detailed paintings.

This precisely painted art gained cultural prominence in that era, some of the famous paintings being some prominent scenes like Abu’l Fazl presenting Akbarnama to Emperor Akbar and Krishna Holding Up Mount Govardhan to Shelter the Villagers of Braj, these paintings are still protected and act as inspiration for many artists throughout contemporary time. 

The transition of Mughal miniature paintings into the Colonial period:

A decline could be observed in the number of Mughal miniature paintings mainly after Shah Jahan’s rule in 1658. Furthermore, in the colonial period, British influence started to gain prominence in the artwork. The adoption of European art styles and tastes could be seen in the colonial period. Artistic patronage also saw a blend and transfusion of Mughal miniature paintings with the European style of art. This blend was also known as the “Company School” during that time.

While observing the feminist themes in artwork across different times, it can be seen that, during the Chola Dynasty, there was a special focus on depictions of goddesses like Durga, Kali, and Parvati, the pre-colonial artwork saw these depictions as a symbol of strength and worship and also can be seen as a sign of subtle resistance to patriarchy. This can be seen in the era of the Maratha Empire as well, a portrayal of women as warrior queens and goddesses also played a significant role in society at that time, it transitioned from portrayal of women in a more realistic manner.

Colonial Artwork:

During the period of British rule in India, many Indian artists had to cater to the British style of art and their likes and dislikes, which ultimately led to losing their authentic sense of creativity and style. For example, as discussed earlier, Mughal Miniature painters had to use and cater to the new style, giving up on their traditional style of artwork.

New forms of art emerged in India, like oil and easel paintings, which were prominent in the West. These types of paintings, when mixed with traditional Indian artwork, gave birth to new modern Indian art.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the pioneer of Indian modern art and bringing out social reforms in the society, also known as the father of the Indian Renaissance, was born and brought up in Bengal (1772). He spent his life advocating for bringing out social reforms, bringing out justice in areas of social, religious, and educational reforms in the early nineteenth century. He strongly opposed orthodox Hindu practices and he worked for humanity and bringing out modernisation in society.

His campaign against Sati practice is very well known, staunchly opposing this orthodox Hindu practice, and calling for a nationwide ban for this practice. He advocated for gender equality and women’s rights which led to many reforms taking place in India at that time.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy made significant contributions in art and literature, championing women's rights, and calling out the orthodox way of portraying women, calling for an equal society.

The plight of widows was a theme which affected him majorly, art and literature started to portray and reflect issues like women being denied education, the plight of widows, and women’s rights and throw light with the intention of raising awareness which had a huge influence on the cultural and intellectual landscape in India.

He spoke for a more socially conscious depiction of women in art and literature. Furthermore, the colonial period saw schools opening up for women which further led to artists portraying girls going to school in their paintings which symbolised the new emerging society with these changes.

To conclude, as we move forward to the post-colonial era, it can be seen as the birth of a whole new era, without British domination, we see new emerging artists, such as Amrita Sher-gill, Jamini Roy, and Maqbool Fida Husain. The legacy of the movements before has played a significant role in framing the post-colonial artwork. Indian artists embraced the traditional style of art for their paintings and went on to challenge societal and cultural norms through artwork.

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BY NANDITA LATA

CENTRE FOR HISTORY AND CULTURE

TEAM GEOSTRATA

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