Indian Paintings

* Jahangir (reigned 1605-1627) was known for his keen interest in art and culture. While his predecessors valued illustrated manuscripts, Jahangir favoured a more personal approach to artistic expression.

* He patronized artists like Bichitr, Mansur, and Abu'l Hasan, who excelled in portraiture.

* He actively commissioned individual portraits and compiled albums showcasing a variety of subjects, including people, animals, and flora and fauna. This shift reflected a growing interest in realism and individual character studies within Mughal art during his reign.

"Bani Thani" is a famous painting associated with the Kishangarh school of painting, which flourished in the princely state of Kishangarh in Rajasthan during the 18th century. This painting is particularly renowned for its elegance and depiction of Indian beauty. Some famous paintings from the other three schools:

Bundi School - Ragamala Series – A set of paintings depicting various Indian musical modes (ragas). - Chaugan Players – A painting showing women playing Polo, reflecting royal leisure.

Jaipur School - Gita Govinda Series – Paintings depicting the love story of Radha and Krishna. - Ganesh Stuti – A painting of Lord Ganesha, often seen in Jaipur miniatures.

Kangra School - Gita Govinda Paintings – Like Jaipur, Kangra also depicted Radha-Krishna love stories, but with soft, delicate features. - Nayika Bheda – A series showing different moods of a heroine (nayika) in love.


* The painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani is one of the most famous and oft-illustrated works of art found in the Ajanta Caves.


* These caves, located in Maharashtra, India, are renowned for their collection of exquisitely preserved murals and sculptures depicting Buddhist themes. The Padmapani painting, housed in Cave 1, is particularly celebrated for its beauty, technical mastery, and its portrayal of the compassionate Bodhisattva. This image has been admired and reproduced for centuries, serving as a testament to the artistic legacy of Ajanta.

* Badami is famous for its rock-cut temples (6th–8th century CE), built by the Chalukyas.

* Bagh Caves (Madhya Pradesh): Madhyapradesh. These are associated with the Buddhism. These Buddhist rock-cut caves have paintings similar to Ajanta.

* Ellora is famous for its rock-cut Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain temples (6th–10th century CE). The most famous structure here is the Kailasa Temple (Cave 16), a massive monolithic rock-cut temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Mural is a painting applied to and made integral with the surface of a wall or ceiling.

The term may properly include painting on fired tiles but ordinarily does not refer to mosaic decoration unless the mosaic forms part of the overall scheme of the painting.

Ajanta Caves: It is well known that the Ajanta caves have mural paintings. These paintings have Buddhist religious themes and depict the Jatakales.

Lepakshi temple: The Lepakshi temple also has mural paintings of Vijayanagara kings.

Sanchi Stupa: The Sanchi stupa does not have mural paintings.