The Madhubani painting style, also called Mithila painting because of its origin in the historical region of Mithila, is widely practiced in the state of Bihar. Approximately 2500 years old, it is considered to have been used to chronicle Rama and Sita’s wedding, the artists having been commissioned by Raja Janaka; hence its name of ‘Mithila painting’ as well.
It is historically assumed to render Rama and Sita’s wedding, and so Madhubani painting often features weddings across the Hindu epics, having mythical ties to the pairs of Shankar-Parvati, Radha-Krishna, and others. The style favours vibrant colours suited to occasions and festivals, and are seen in every village house as a sign of celebration.
What is commonly overlooked is that Madhubani actually has three different styles of painting within itself, characterised by caste. The first style is practiced by Brahmins, who use religious symbols and motifs freely, having far more access to religious texts. The second style belongs to the Kayasthas, who concentrate more on fertility as a theme in their paintings. The third practitioners of this art form are the Dusadhs, who come under the Shudra community, and are banned from using religious motifs, and commonly use symbols from nature. Now, however, they practice a style very similar to that of the Brahmins’.
The style is done with certain specific tools, that have survived the test of time along with the art itself. The primary drawing is done with bamboo sticks wrapped in cloth, using a unique mix of cow dung and soot from fires which then create the strong, black colour of the lines. The detailing is either done with lines that fill in the primary drawing, or with vibrant colours that are each nature-based. These dyes come from materials such as turmeric for yellow, indigo for blue, rice powder for white, and the kusum flower for red.
The style is characterised by the afore-mentioned religious and nature-based motifs, as well as elements such as big, bold eyes for every humans or animals, a distinct use of side profiles, bold outlines surrounding the painting, and a simple yet striking use of colour, used to fill spaces. There is a balance struck between using lines to fill empty space, and colour for the same; sometimes, the painting is only done with lines and no use of colour at all.
Today, the style is rendered onto primarily silk cloth, cotton clothing, and everyday garments such as kurtas, curtains, stoles, purses, sarees, lamps, and others, even though the original surfaces for such artwork were household walls. This step was undertaken because the artisans were fast losing business in light of changing times, and they had to keep in step because, otherwise, they would be threatened by loss of livelihood.
However, this does not mean that they don’t face a threat still. These Madhubani artisans are exceedingly authentic, exacting in their work, painstakingly paying attention to minute details. But often charlatans copy their designs, their paintings and pass them off as their work, without thinking of the original artisan. The problem that lies here is that copyright laws on such art have been recently introduced, and so these artisans don’t get adequate protection from this threat. Thus, we try to support their cause, providing you their original work and promoting their authenticity, and discouraging false ‘artists’ who think they can pass off original work as theirs.
The Love Stories of the Epics: Madhubani Painting of Bihar
The Madhubani painting style, also called Mithila painting because of its origin in the historical region of Mithila, is widely practiced in the state of Bihar. Approximately 2500 years old, it is considered to have been used to chronicle Rama and Sita’s wedding, the artists having been commissioned by Raja Janaka; hence its name of ‘Mithila painting’ as well.
It is historically assumed to render Rama and Sita’s wedding, and so Madhubani painting often features weddings across the Hindu epics, having mythical ties to the pairs of Shankar-Parvati, Radha-Krishna, and others. The style favours vibrant colours suited to occasions and festivals, and are seen in every village house as a sign of celebration.
What is commonly overlooked is that Madhubani actually has three different styles of painting within itself, characterised by caste. The first style is practiced by Brahmins, who use religious symbols and motifs freely, having far more access to religious texts. The second style belongs to the Kayasthas, who concentrate more on fertility as a theme in their paintings. The third practitioners of this art form are the Dusadhs, who come under the Shudra community, and are banned from using religious motifs, and commonly use symbols from nature. Now, however, they practice a style very similar to that of the Brahmins’.
The style is done with certain specific tools, that have survived the test of time along with the art itself. The primary drawing is done with bamboo sticks wrapped in cloth, using a unique mix of cow dung and soot from fires which then create the strong, black colour of the lines. The detailing is either done with lines that fill in the primary drawing, or with vibrant colours that are each nature-based. These dyes come from materials such as turmeric for yellow, indigo for blue, rice powder for white, and the kusum flower for red.
The style is characterised by the afore-mentioned religious and nature-based motifs, as well as elements such as big, bold eyes for every humans or animals, a distinct use of side profiles, bold outlines surrounding the painting, and a simple yet striking use of colour, used to fill spaces. There is a balance struck between using lines to fill empty space, and colour for the same; sometimes, the painting is only done with lines and no use of colour at all.
Today, the style is rendered onto primarily silk cloth, cotton clothing, and everyday garments such as kurtas, curtains, stoles, purses, sarees, lamps, and others, even though the original surfaces for such artwork were household walls. This step was undertaken because the artisans were fast losing business in light of changing times, and they had to keep in step because, otherwise, they would be threatened by loss of livelihood.
However, this does not mean that they don’t face a threat still. These Madhubani artisans are exceedingly authentic, exacting in their work, painstakingly paying attention to minute details. But often charlatans copy their designs, their paintings and pass them off as their work, without thinking of the original artisan. The problem that lies here is that copyright laws on such art have been recently introduced, and so these artisans don’t get adequate protection from this threat. Thus, we try to support their cause, providing you their original work and promoting their authenticity, and discouraging false ‘artists’ who think they can pass off original work as theirs.