Madhubani Paintings - Art and Culture Notes

Madhubani paintings originated in the Bihar village of Maithili. Originally, the women of the village painted these murals on the walls of their homes to express their thoughts, hopes, and ideals. Later on, these paintings began to be used in celebrations and special occasions. This article will explain to you the concepts related to the Madhubani painting which will be helpful in Indian Art and Culture preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Madhubani painting

• Origin - Madhubani painting originated in the Mithila district of Bihar.
• Painting is one of the most ancient and well-known Indian art forms, and it is also practised in Nepal.
• The Ramayana, an Indian epic, also has traces of Madhubani painting.
• It's also known as Madhubani or Mithila art.

Madhubani Paintings

• Themes - It is based on Hindu legendary characters such as Krishna, Rama, Lakshmi, Shiva, Durga, and Saraswati, and depicts their lives.
• Tulasi plant, court scenes, wedding scenes, social happenings, and other designs are commonly painted.
• In addition, heavenly bodies such as the Sun and Moon sometimes serve as the focal point of paintings.

Madhubani painting - Features

• The use of rich earthy colours and tribal patterns make these paintings attractive.
• Women in the community used to paint these murals on the walls of their homes as a way of expressing their sentiments, hopes, and ideas.
• To accommodate the demand, men are becoming involved as well.
• Geometrical patterns, floral, animal, and avian themes are all included.
• Natural extracts from plants and other natural sources are utilised to create the colours used in paintings. For example, black is made by mixing soot with cow dung; blue is made from indigo; white is made from rice powder; orange is made from palasha flowers, and so on.
• The colours are applied flat, with no shading, and there is no white space.
• These are typically dark and brilliant, including colours such as lampblack (a coal-derived pigment) and ochre (earthy yellow pigment).
• These paintings were created with twigs, matchsticks, and fingers rather than modern brushes.
• Artists now paint with brushes, nib-pens, and synthetic colours as well.

Madhubani painting - Making

• Cotton brushes placed over a bamboo stick are used in Madhubani paintings.
• There is no shading in the colour application. For outlines, a double line is drawn, and the space is filled with a cross or straight miniature lines.
• The colour black is created by combining soot with cow manure.
• Turmeric is used with the milk of banyan leaves to give it a yellow tint.
• Indigo gives the colour blue.
• Red colour from red sandalwood or Kusam flower juice
• The leaves of the wood apple tree are green in hue.
• Rice powder provides a white colour.
• Palasha flowers give the colour orange.

Conclusion

The origins of Madhubani art may be traced back to the village of Maithili in Bihar. Originally, the villagers' women drew these paintings on the walls of their homes to express their sentiments, hopes, and ideas. Later on, these paintings began to be used at celebrations and special events. Madhubani painting gradually broke through conventional barriers and reached professional artists in India and beyond.