An ancient art form used to express present-day narratives, miniatures continue to influence ateliers and galleries. The meticulous techniques and elaborate motifs provide impetus to embark on personal journeys, finds Amishi Parekh
Desmond lazaro, Crossing the Med, 2015-16, pigment paint on handmade sanganer paper on with raise gild, 50 x 39 inches
Miniature paintings are a fixture in just about every Indian home. Many will recall encountering reproductions in books or frames, if not as prized originals. Owing to their ubiquity, the themes and motifs form a universal language that almost anyone, curator or common man, can instantly conjure up in their minds. The ancient Indian art form originated on palm leaves in the 10th century, and was followed by paper in the 14th century, as found in illustrated Buddhist manuscripts and Jain texts. As centuries passed by, these paintings chronicled the many battles won and lost, the stylistic influences of the winning party gleaming through. Today, while the Mughal school is most known, miniatures exist in a variety of styles, from Persian to Rajput and Pahari, among others. Despite their small scale, paintings were often worked on by entire workshops of artists. These paintings are intimate and beautiful, but their small size and forced perspective drive the viewer to maintain a distance. Though not typically immersive, they are always conscious of the distinction between art and reality.
Defining miniature art as it is practised today is contentious. Most agree that it involves incorporating either the age-old techniques or nilima sheikh, A Pastoral, 2003, mixed tempera on wasli paper, 70 x 40 cm its imagery into the artist’s work. Generally speaking, miniature art in present times is a tool an ancient art form used to express contemporary stories. languid scenes of courtly life become infused with layers of meaning as over-used tropes are given a new raison d’être by artists who utilise miniatures to break intellectual and cultural boundaries, and to explore complex themes using unambiguous imagery.
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