MEWAR PAINTING

one of the most important schools of Indian miniature painting of the 17th and 18th centuries. It is a school in the Rajasthani style and was developed in the Hindu principality of Mewar (in Rajasthan state). The works of the school are characterized by simple bright colour and direct emotional appeal. The comparatively large number of paintings to which dates and places of origin can be ascribed make possible a more comprehensive picture of the development of painting in Mewar than in any other Rajasthani school. The earliest-dated examples come from a ragamala (musical modes) series painted in 1605 at Chawand, an early capital of the state. This expressive and vigorous style continued with some variations through 1680, after which time Mughal influence became more apparent. One of the outstanding painters of the early phase was the artist Sahibdin. The Mewar school continued through the 18th century and into the 19th, the production being fairly prolific. An increasing number of paintings were concerned with portraiture and the life of the ruler, though religious themes continued to be popular.