Depiction of Patrons in Rajput Painting: A Thematic Appreciation

Nimish Vohra; Dr. Soumya Manjunath Chavan

Volume : VII, Issue : VIII, August - 2018

Depiction of Patrons in Rajput Painting: A Thematic Appreciation

Nimish Vohra, Dr. Soumya Manjunath Chavan

Abstract :

Rajput Miniature paintings, a reference to the paintings between seventeenth to early nineteenth century from Mewar, Marwar and surrounding regions in present day Rajasthan, are rich source of historical information about the times—the patrons, their interests, their faiths,the dominant literary sources, and much more. The themes of the ranged from the courtly—portraiture, hunting, royal festivities, zenana scenes, etc., to the literary—illustrations to Ramayana, Bhagavata Purāna, Gīta Govinda, rāgamālā, bāramāsā, etc. This paper looks closely at how the patrons liked to see themselves – the different ways in which they got themselves painted—in court, or hunting, solo portraits, in festivities, etc.