Different Between ‘Rajasthani’ Schools of Painting and the ‘Pahari’ School of Painting

Different Between ‘Rajasthani’ Schools of Painting and the ‘Pahari’ School of Painting!

‘Madhubani’ art and ‘Manjusha’ art are the traditional and indigenous art form of Bihar.

There is a matriarchal dominance over both the art forms. Nature and celestial bodies like the sun and moon are the common themes of both the art form.

There are certain distinctive features, which gives uniqueness to both.’ Madhubani’ paintings are characterised by bright and bold use of colours like yellow, black, blue, red, green, white and orange, on the other hand, Manjusha painters use only three colours red, yellow, green on a black background the most prominent features of ‘Madhubani’ paintings are double line borders, ornate floral patterns, abstract figures of deities and human figures with bulging eyes and a jolting nose and birds and animal motifs.

Its theme mainly revolves around Rama and Sita, but other deities like Durga, Krishna, Lakshmi and Sarawati are also favourite subjects of painters. Apart from this, the holy tulsi plant and traditional geometric pattern are also depicted. These paintings were made on walls to celebrate social happening, mainly wedding.

Manjusha paintings revolve around the folklore of bihula-vishari. In the Manjusha paintings human beings are depicted in the art form and are projected with prominent ears and with big eyes. Manjusha painters use Wavy lines for decoration.

Rajasthani School of painting is marked by bold drawing vibrant colours. Its main centres are Mewar, Marwar, Kishangarh, Bundi, Jaipur etc. They use bright colours like red and yellow. Feminine beauty like her lotus eyes, waving hairs and thin waist, rounded and long fingers and grace are well portrayed love scenes of Radha and Krishna and Rajput grandeur and glory have been precisely painted. Living portrayal of natural beauty, themes drawn from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Geeta are beautifully depicted in their paintings.

Pahari School of painting developed in the foothill of Punjab, Garhwal and Jammu. This school is different from the Rajasthani School of painting. This school is famous for beautiful flowing lines and brilliant colours. The theme of court paintings revolves around the literary, mythical and secular themes.

The painters are grant lovers of nature and depict nature with care and love in their paintings. Its main centres are Basholi, Guler and Kangra etc. In Basholi, a painter portrays flat background with simplified forms of trees faces in profile and uses bold lines and brilliant colours. The painters of Guler depict women in the absence of their lovers in their painting and the painters of Kangra mainly revolve around the theme of feminine beauty and grace.