Dehli - National MuseumThe National Museum in New Delhi is one of the largest museums in India. Established in 1949, it holds variety of articles ranging from pre-historic era to modern works of art. It functions under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The museum is situated on the corner of Janpath and Maulana Azad Road. The museum has 200,000 works of art, both of Indian and foreign origin, covering over 5,000 years. It also houses the National Museum Institute of History of Arts, Conservation and Museology established in 1983 and now a Deemed University since 1989, and run Masters and Doctoral level courses in History of Art, Art Conservation and Art restoration. | Dehli - National Museum (E) The National Museum in New Delhi is one of the largest museums in India. Established in 1949, it holds variety of articles ranging from pre-historic era to modern works of art. It functions under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India ... |
Mohammed Abdur Rahman Chughtai - Hiraman TotaMohammed Abdur Rahman Chughtai from Lahore now in Pakistan, belonged to a family of traditional artists and architects, originally from Persia. He grew up with the language of the miniature tradition and this made him respond to the aesthetics of the Bengal School. Chughtai’s first lessons in art were from his uncle who was a traditional artist. He then joined the Mayo College of Art at Lahore and finally travelled to Kolkata (then Calcutta) to train under Abanindranath Tagore. The painting ‘Hiraman Tota’ shows Chughtai’s understanding of the classical narrative tradition where the parrot, among other things, was a messenger between separated lovers. The treatment of the image with a seated woman in the foreground, the bird, architectural elements and the stylized vegetation in the background is strongly reminiscent of a miniature painting. Chughtai’s intense palette and handling of drapes, the lyricism of his lines mark this painting as a very distinctive work. | Mohammed Abdur Rahman Chughtai - Hiraman Tota (E) Mohammed Abdur Rahman Chughtai from Lahore now in Pakistan, belonged to a family of traditional artists and architects, originally from Persia. He grew up with the language of the miniature tradition and this made him respond to the aesthet ... |
Kshitindranath Majumdar - Rasa Lila 20th Century | Kshitindranath Majumdar - Rasa Lila 20th Century (E) ... |
Hemendranath Majumdar - toiletHemendranath Majumdar became famous for his female forms, even though he was a recognized portraitist and a good landscape painter. The figure of the woman is laden with nuanced eroticism. The painting shows a partially dressed woman obviously from an affluent background seen from the rich textiles and jewellery. But it is clear that in the painting, Majumdar is romanticizing the female figure from the artist’s treatment of skin tone, texture of textiles and hair and the subtly suggestive pose. The painting also shows Majumdar’s deft handling of watercolours to achieve an ethereal effect. At the same time, one cannot completely deny that Majumdar has kept the male gaze in mind. | Hemendranath Majumdar - toilet (E) Hemendranath Majumdar became famous for his female forms, even though he was a recognized portraitist and a good landscape painter. The figure of the woman is laden with nuanced eroticism. The painting shows a partially dressed woman obviou ... |
Raja Ravi Varma - Woman Holding A Fruit Late 19th CenturyRavi Varma was born into an aristocratic family of Kerala. He taught himself the intricacies of oil painting and the practices of European naturalism. ‘Woman Holding a Fruit’ shows Ravi Varma’s mastery over the idioms of a new visual language in India. In the naturalistic depiction of the young woman, Ravi Varma lyrically combines eroticism with innocence. His handling of colours – mostly soft pinks and browns – heightens the tenderness evoked in this painting. | Raja Ravi Varma - Woman Holding A Fruit Late 19th Century (E) Ravi Varma was born into an aristocratic family of Kerala. He taught himself the intricacies of oil painting and the practices of European naturalism. ‘Woman Holding a Fruit’ shows Ravi Varma’s mastery over the idioms of a ... |
anonyme - Archery 1620Archery is a popular game since ancient times among the rural as well as urban areas of India. The history of archery can be traced back to ancient times when bow and arrows were used as a weapon for hunting wild animals. For millenniums the twin – bow and arrow, were the most potential weapons of warfare and personal defense and defined a warrior’s identity and status. The old saying was that a single archer could maintain law and order in an entire village, the same as a single lion ruled the entire forest. Archery was considered an essential part of war training in ancient times and bow and arrows were considered superb among other weapons. Rama, the hero of epic Ramayana was a known archer. With one arrow he pierced through seven trees known as saptasala. Mahabharata refers to Arjuna, one of the brothers of mighty Pandavas as the great archer. Various stories of his skill in archery are still popular in folk-lore and dramas. Several tribes of India are still practicing archery. Archery is considered an art for Bhils, a tribe of M.P., and the Nagas of Nagaland. These tribes are known as the best archers in India. Mughal emperor Humayun was an adept archer and successfully faced several attacks by enemies and somehow saved his wife and newborn Akbar. It is said that no Indian king had suffered so many arrow wounds as Humayun had in his life. In this folio of Shahnama, four birds are shown carrying and flying with an octagonal seat in the sky. The seat is having four poles and these poles are decorated with Yak tales on the top. The hero is aiming his arrow towards sky with full vigour as if he is going to conquer the territory of God. Below on the earth equestrian soldiers are surprisingly looking at the hero. His quiver full of arrows is also lying near him. Shahnama, the book of kings of Iran, was composed by Firdausi, in AD 1010. Firdausi’s Shahnama was written in Persian. It narrates stories of the achievements in war and love and the tales of valour of the fifty kings of Iran and it also throws light on the social customs, traditions, feasts, festivals and cultural aspects of Iranian life. | anonyme - Archery 1620 (E) Archery is a popular game since ancient times among the rural as well as urban areas of India. The history of archery can be traced back to ancient times when bow and arrows were used as a weapon for hunting wild animals. For millenniums th ... |
anonyme - Archery 1620 (detail) | anonyme - Archery 1620 (detail) (E) ... |
anonyme - Baz Bahadur And Rani RupmatiThe romantic legend of the mid sixteenth century of Sultan Baz Bahadur of Mandu and his beautiful Queen Rupmati has been immortalized in the songs and couplets of Ahmad-ul-Umri Turkman written in 1599. Baz-Bahadur the handsome Sultan of Mandu in Central India crafted crown is decorated with flowers full of fragrance which have attracted the honey bees. Shaivite mark is an adding grace to his personality. The artist combined in this composition raga Hindola with its first ragini Telangi. Instead of raga Hindola the artist painted ragini Telangi on the swing, swinging with the help of her three companions. She is wearing a buttidar ivory white coloured sari with heavy pallu. Her hairdo is decorated with white jasmine flowers. Several honey-bees have surrounded her due to the sweet fragrance coming from her body. She is fanned by her attendants. One of her companion tries to save her from the honey-bees. | anonyme - Baz Bahadur And Rani Rupmati (E) The romantic legend of the mid sixteenth century of Sultan Baz Bahadur of Mandu and his beautiful Queen Rupmati has been immortalized in the songs and couplets of Ahmad-ul-Umri Turkman written in 1599. Baz-Bahadur the handsome Sultan of Man ... |
anonyme - Celebrations Of Krishna s BirthKrishna, as is popularly believed, was born in the prison of Kamsa, the ruler of Mathura. Krishna was the eighth child of Devaki and Vasudeva. At the time of the marriage of Devaki, Kamsa’s sister, it was predicted that her eighth child would slay Kamsa and free the earth form his tyrannous rule. The panicky ruler imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva soon after their marriage. When Krishna, Devaki’s eighth child, was born, some divine miracle worked. The prison guard fell asleep in deep slumber and the prison gates fell open. Taking it as a Divine direction Vasudeva decided to shift the child across Yamuna, to Gokula to his friend Nanda’s house. Surprisingly, Nanda’s wife Yashoda too had given birth to a girl child. Vasudeva exchanged the children and brought back to prison Yashoda’s daughter. In the morning the news of Yashoda bearing a son had spread all around in Braja.Nanda’s clansmen and people of Braja, the trumpets blowers and the drummers, and seasoned old nurses gathered at Nanda’s residence. Nanda, like a Mughal noble in Mughalia costume, is shown receiving all and accepting the auspicious grass, dhruv, as their good wishes distributing sweets to all. In the entire vegetation dhruva alone is such specie which never dies, never dries and never rises so high as it has ever to fall. Hence, dhruva symbolizes humble long life presented on the occasion of a child’s birth. The painting has four compartments. Inside the house, Yashoda, with a scarf tied traditionally on her forehead and the new born Krishna in her lap, is receiving advice of the old nurse and dhruva from young ladies. In a corner a band of musicians is playing on musical instruments. It is a fine, colourful, balanced painting full of action and activity. | anonyme - Celebrations Of Krishna s Birth (E) Krishna, as is popularly believed, was born in the prison of Kamsa, the ruler of Mathura. Krishna was the eighth child of Devaki and Vasudeva. At the time of the marriage of Devaki, Kamsa’s sister, it was predicted that her eighth chi ... |
anonyme - Celebrations Of Krishna s Birth (detail 1) | anonyme - Celebrations Of Krishna s Birth (detail 1) (E) ... |
anonyme - Celebrations Of Krishna s Birth (detail 2) | anonyme - Celebrations Of Krishna s Birth (detail 2) (E) ... |
anonyme - Celebrations Of Krishna s Birth (detail 3) | anonyme - Celebrations Of Krishna s Birth (detail 3) (E) ... |
anonyme - Chand Bibi Playing PoloPolo or Chaugan bazi, a traditional outdoor game among royal families till the eighteenth century, was an old pastime of the feudal class. It was while playing polo in 1210 that Qutab-din-Aibak had died falling from his horse. The game of polo was generally played between two teams of five players riding on horses with sticks having angular ends. In this miniature, five princesses are shown playing polo against a dark green background. The princesses are mounted on beautifully decorated stallions of white, blue, dark brown and pale yellow colours. The colourful costumes and bejeweled head dresses of the princesses are painted with the utmost delicacy. The picture is a very good example of the early-18th century Golkonda style. In the foreground is a silvery-grey lotus lake with aquatic birds and in the background is the receding plains depicting rocks, huts and trees. The Persian inscription in the background reads Chaugon-bazi-Chand Bibi. It is said that Chand Bibi was a gallant horse rider and fine polo player. She was the sister of Murtaza Nizam Shah I of Ahmadnagar and the widow of Ali Adil Shah I, the Sultan of Bijapur. She is known in history for her heroic battles with the Mughal forces of Emperor Akbar.Chand Bibi is among a small group of historic Indian women who took on powerful men. Paintings such as this provide clues to the liberal life-style of the Deccan. | anonyme - Chand Bibi Playing Polo (E) Polo or Chaugan bazi, a traditional outdoor game among royal families till the eighteenth century, was an old pastime of the feudal class. It was while playing polo in 1210 that Qutab-din-Aibak had died falling from his horse. The game of p ... |
anonyme - Chand Bibi Playing Polo (detail)In this miniature, five princesses are shown playing polo against a dark green background. The princesses are mounted on beautifully decorated stallions of white, blue, dark brown and pale yellow colours. The colourful costumes and bejeweled head dresses of the princesses are painted with the utmost delicacy. The picture is a very good example of the early-18th century Golkonda style. In the foreground is a silvery-grey lotus lake with aquatic birds and in the background is the receding plains depicting rocks, huts and trees. | anonyme - Chand Bibi Playing Polo (detail) (E) In this miniature, five princesses are shown playing polo against a dark green background. The princesses are mounted on beautifully decorated stallions of white, blue, dark brown and pale yellow colours. The colourful costumes and bejewele ... |
anonyme - Cowherd Krishna And Surprised RadhaThe poet Keshvadasa of Orchha, the capital seat of Bundelas in central India, composed his famous poetry Rasikapriya in 1592 AD. This picture of Bundi style is based on the love sports of Radha and Krishna. The poet describes in Rasikapriya- love, separation, union and emotions of Radha and Krishna. Here the heroine is Radha – the soul and the hero is Krishna – the lord himself. Illustrates here a verse from the poetry of Rasikapriya depicts Radha asking her sakhi how Nanda and Yasodha could be so unkind as to send Krishna to forest with cows with other gopalas, who is as lustrous as the sun, as delicate as moon, kind hearted like Shiva, strong like Indra, and valorous like Rama, handsome like Kamadeva the god of love. Krishna is also calm like a sea and wise and clever like Ganapati. The artist tried to fill the space by creating small figures of gods between the two beautifully decorated palatial houses of Nanda-Yashoda and Radha. Rama is shown on Pushpak Viman, while he was returning from Lanka after defeating Ravana and Indra is on his white elephant Airavata. Ganesha is shown seated before Shiva and Parvati under a tree and Nandi is also shown in front of them. Kamadeva- the god of love is shown with bow and arrow of flowers and the sun and moon are shinning in the sky. The beautiful architecture of the house and its decorative interior is rendered colourfully. The bejeweled Radha is shown standing on the door with her friend and looking at Krishna who is in colourful red and golden jama costume. | anonyme - Cowherd Krishna And Surprised Radha (E) The poet Keshvadasa of Orchha, the capital seat of Bundelas in central India, composed his famous poetry Rasikapriya in 1592 AD. This picture of Bundi style is based on the love sports of Radha and Krishna. The poet describes in Rasikapriya ... |
anonyme - daily life in a villageIt is an uncommon subject depicting scenes from daily life in a typical Indian village, like cooking, milking, churning, grinding, winnowing and cleaning the houses. One can see an old lady is busy with spinning wheel while two young ladies are shown with water vessels. Artist has depicted even the minute details of decorating the floor with alpana. There is an unusual scene painted in the foreground of the painting. A mahout with his elephant is shown entering in the village and suddenly enraged and attacked villagers, captured one of them and crushed him under his trunk. The mahout is trying his best to control the uncontrolled elephant but failed. The frighten villagers are running here and there. This is a dated painting of the period of Maharana Jagat Singh II of Mewar 1735-51 and the picturization is nothing short of a bird eye view of a dawn of a Mewar village. Maharana also gave patronage to artists like his father Maharana Sangram Singh (1711- 1735). | anonyme - daily life in a village (E) It is an uncommon subject depicting scenes from daily life in a typical Indian village, like cooking, milking, churning, grinding, winnowing and cleaning the houses. One can see an old lady is busy with spinning wheel while two young ladies ... |
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anonyme - Fainted Laila and Majnun-Based on the Khamsa of Persian poet Nizamia great musician. One day while hunting he saw the beautiful Rupmati in the dense forest singing melodious songs. Instantly he fell in love with her. In order to win her hand in marriage he requested Than Singh, a proud Thakur of the area and father of Rupmati. A fierce battle raged between them and Baz Bahadur ultimately defeated Than Singh and rode away with Rupmati and made her his queen. Their love for each other and their mutual interest in music made their lives and their union idyllic. The forest drenched in pristine moonlight was their haunt. The king and queen used to ride together in the forests of Mandu composing and innovating new ragas and singing through these magical nights of their love. But their love was not a “happily ever afterwards” tale. Baz-Bahadur was defeated by the invading Mughal army of Emperor Akbar under Adham Khan and Rupmati became a captive. Adham Khan offered to marry her but she refused and preferred death. The brave and loyal queen eluded her captor through a lethal dose of poison. The lady of the lotus, as poets and bard singers called her, lies buried in her mausoleum at Sarangpur near Mandu with her beloved husband Baz-Bahadur, together in their final rest as they were in their lives. | anonyme - Fainted Laila and Majnun-Based on the Khamsa of Persian poet Nizami
(E) a great musician. One day while hunting he saw the beautiful Rupmati in the dense forest singing melodious songs. Instantly he fell in love with her. In order to win her hand in marriage he requested Than Singh, a proud Thakur of the area a ... |
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anonyme - Hero Enjoying The Bathing BeautyBeauty expresses itself in various shades but the scenes related to snana and shringara, that is, bathing and adornment reveal beauty in its utmost lustre. The Indian art has produced some of the best examples of female beauty by exploring it during a bath or in adornment. For them, a woman, while bathing in heavenly blue transparent waters of either a river or spring, has always stood transformed into an altogether different person, a figure endowed with celestial beauty. In this painting, the heroine has just finished her bath and helped by a maid who brought her costume in a tray is wearing her garments. Her black long hair cascade down on her back. Her lover, secretly looking at her from the window of the upper floor, is overwhelmed by her naive charms and beauty. The composition is relatively simple. The blue tiled courtyard of her house and the green banana plants in the background greatly balance it. The Kotah painter draws his figures with remarkable assurance, imparting to the women in particular a look of great innocence and charm and converts thus his theme into a piece of pure artistic delight. | anonyme - Hero Enjoying The Bathing Beauty (E) Beauty expresses itself in various shades but the scenes related to snana and shringara, that is, bathing and adornment reveal beauty in its utmost lustre. The Indian art has produced some of the best examples of female beauty by exploring ... |
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