Pahari painting

Pahari painting is an umbrella term for the miniature painting of the lower Himalayan hill kingdoms of North India - Basohli, Mankot, Nurpur, Chamba, Kangra, Guler, Mandi and Garhwal - made from the early seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth century under Rajput patronage. Growing out of Mughal painting, it spans a wide range, from the blazing color and bold stylization of early Basohli work to the delicate lyricism of the Kangra school, whose soft landscapes and tender Radha-Krishna scenes inspired by Jayadeva's Gita Govinda became the style's emblem. Subjects include Krishna's loves, ragamala melodies, the barahmasa seasons, epic narratives and idealized court portraiture. The workshop of the painter Nainsukh and his family brought Mughal refinement into the hill idiom, and the tradition's lyricism and minute detail set it apart from the Deccani, Mughal and Rajasthani schools.

Defining characteristics

• Round faces, semicircular foreheads and small deep-set eyes in idealized figures
• Soft, lyrical landscapes with delicately painted trees, flowers and birds
• Flowing linear drawing and gently washed flesh tones over pale grounds
• Radiant palette of red, yellow and blue framed by fine painted borders
• Intimate devotional mood centered on Radha-Krishna romance and the moods of the heroine (nayika)
• Early Basohli variant: blazing color, bold lines and strong stylization

Key figures

• Nainsukh (c. 1710-1778) — Master of Guler and Jasrota who fused Mughal refinement with the hill idiom
• Manaku of Guler (c. 1700-1760) — Nainsukh's elder brother, exponent of the early Pahari style
• Mola Ram (1743-1833) — Painter and poet who originated the Garhwal school

Example works

• Krishna and Radha in a Pavilion — Unknown (Pahari school) (18th century)
• Krishna and Radha Looking into a Mirror — Unknown (Garhwal school) (c. 1800)
• Rasamanjari illustrations — Unknown (Basohli school) (c. 1690)

Sources

• Pahari painting - Wikipedia encyclopedia

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