|
|
Home >> Painting
in India >> Sekhawati Paintings
|
The
Shekawati havelis of Rajasthan are renowned for their wall
paintings. These havelis were profusely
painted with frescos depicting gods and kings, flowers and
arabesques and scenes from everyday life. The Shekawati paintings
also depict Europeans, identified by their hats in a sea of turbans,
as infantry in opposite sides. The technique of Fresco painting in
Shekhawati was not primitive or unique to the area but very close to
the Italian Fresco technique developed around the 14th century. In
Shekhawati the fresco painters were called Chiteras and
belonged to the caste of Kumhars or Potters. They were also
called Chejaras, masons, since they performed both
functions of painting as well as building construction. Initially
only vegetable pigments were used for colour like Kajal (Lamp
black), Safeda (Lime) for white, neel (indigo) for
blue, geru (red stone) for red, kesar (saffron) for
orange and pevri (yellow clay) for yellow ochre. Later
chemical pigments and synthetic dyes from Germany and England were
also used. The Chhatris at Narhad (built 1508 AD) and
Jhunjhunu (built by Hansa Ram 1680-82) are fine specimens of this
form of painting.
|
|
|
