Almond-shaped eyes, aquilin features, long faces with defined chin and nose, earthen tones, panoramic landscapes and styled clouds-these are some of the things that separate rational paintings from other short traditions in India.
Bhakti and Sriingara got drenched in juice, these miniatures were born somewhere in Kishangarh in Ajmer, Rajasthan around the 17th century. Rules like Raj Singh and Sawant Singh established the court’s ateliers under the leadership of Bhavanidas and Nihal Chand and protected the form of this art. However, since years of conservation, short -sighted and traditional visual art forms have been observed which have turned into the scope of handicraft.
From Vaishnavi Kumar’s Kishangarh Studio. Photo Credit: Courtesy: Kishangarh Studio
Centuries later, Vaishnavi Kumari, who detects her dynasty for the then royal family of Kishangarh, has worked to re -establish the form of art in line with contemporary Milliu. In 2010, she founded the studio Kishangarh, where she works with artists, merging traditional aesthetics and modern sensations.
“We acrylic on the canvas, work on Wasli (handmade) paper and take a landscape theme. We can take inspiration from a pitching painting and explain it in our own way using gold and silver ornamentation. Founder.
Vaishnavi graduated from NIFT and pursued her master in art history from Soas University, London. “The middlemen buy unique Hahathi-Bhoda paintings from artists at very low prices. They are sold as a memento. Thinking that I think. In museums and auctions, you see the work which is highly valuable, and I wondered why we were not producing the quality of that kind.
A Kishangarh Small | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Kishangarh Studio
A couple’s combat in a green -green garden against the picturesque background of mountains, dense flora and organisms and a different blue sky is a beauty miracle, and a specific Kishangarh is short. This style is also synonymous with Bani Thani – known as Indian Mona Lisa, a combination of grace and beauty, depicted by Nihal Chand, as the then ruler Raja Sawant Singh directed. It is said that the king and Bani Thai were lover, and they are the heroes and heroines in many paintings.
The most famous among the Kishangarh paintings, ‘Boat of Love’, is on performance in the National Museum, Delhi. Inspired by the poem of King Sawant Singh, the painting depicts three scenes with the characteristics of Radha and Krishna – above a hill, crossing the river sitting on a boat with the attendants, and between the dense leaves.
Through her work in the atelier with her artists, Vaishnavi wants to educate people about the art tradition. “What you see is just the first layer that is aesthetical – women are beautiful, so lyrical … but a deep meaning. Bani Thani was not just a beautiful woman. She was a skilled poet and a wonderful musician. Sufiism and Haveli music were the main influence at that time. Under the name of Nagri Das, there was a precedenness for Hindustani dialect among other languages.
Kishangarh Small | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Once Vaishnavi returned from London, he discovered several families who had been painting for generations. He brought some of them together for two reasons – better livelihood opportunities and opportunity to develop a unique beauty.
“We have a main group, but we also work with other artists. When we started, we were handicrafts – we portrayed a lot of media. I detect a lot of media. Even if I give ideas, there is exploration by artists. Also, each painting is the collective work of two or three artists – a basic drawing is called a basic drawing.
Vaishnavi Kumari, who explore her descendants for the then royal family of Kishangarh, has taken himself the task of strengthening the form of art in line with contemporary Milliu.
Published – 24 April, 2025 06:10 pm IST
