Mithila painting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Madhubani painting or Mithila Painting is a style of Indian painting, practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar state, India.
[edit] Origins
The origins of Madhubani painting or Mithila Painting are shrouded in antiquity, and a tradition states that this style of painting originated at the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, to Hindu god Lord Ram.
Madhubani painting has been done traditionally by the women of villages around the present town of Madhubani (the literal meaning of which is forests of honey) and other areas of Mithila. The painting was traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts, but now it is also done on cloth, hand-made paper and canvas.
As the Madhubani painting has remained confined in a compact geographical area and the skills have been passed on through centuries, the content and the style have largely remained the same. Madhubani painting also uses three dimensional imageries, and the colors used are derived from plants.
Madhubani paintings mostly depict nature and mythological events, and the themes generally revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Natural objects like the sun, the moon, and the religious plants like tulsi are also widely painted, along side scenes from the royal courts and social events like weddings. Generally no empty space is left; the gaps are filled by paintings of flowers, animals, birds, and even geometric designs.
Traditionally, painting was one of the skills that was passed down from generation to generation in the families of the Mithila Region, mainly by women. The painting was usually done on walls during festivals, religious events, and other milestones of the life-cycle such as birth, Upanayanam (Sacred thread ceremony), and marriage.
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
- New Delhi based NGO promoting maithil culture and art
- Article on Madhubani Painting, Online Gallary and E-store
- A complete site on Indian Paintings- Article on Madhubani Painting
- Madhubani Painting - Introduction
- Madhubani Painting - Exhibits
- Madhubani Painting - Animation Project based on Madhubani Paintings
- Madhubani Paintings by Bharti Dayal
- Visual Folk Narratives From The Mithila Region by Archana Verma
- Mithila Art
