Modern Indian Paintings

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  Company Paintings (Kampani Kalam)

  • In the colonial period, a hybrid style of painting emerged that combined the elements of Rajput, Mughal and other Indian styles with European elements.
  • These paintings evolved when the British Company officers employed painters who had been trained in Indian styles.
  • Hence, they mixed their employer’s European tastes with their Indian training and were called the ‘Company Paintings’.
  • They were distinguished by the use of water colour and in technique by the appearance of linear perspective and shading.
  • This style of painting originated in Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Patna, Varanasi and Thanjavur.
Company Painting

Early Modern Indian(Oil Canvas)
Bazaar Paintings
  • This school was also influenced by the European encounter in India.
  • They were different from the Company paintings as that school mixed European techniques and themes with Indian ones.
  • The Bazaar school did not take any Indian influence but took the Roman and Greek influence.
  • They made the painters copy the Greek and Roman statues.
  • This school was prevalent in Bengal and Bihar region.
Bengal School of Art
  • The Bengal school is supposed to have a reactionary approach to the existing styles of paintings.
  • This school is unique as they use simple colours.
  • Some of the notable painters of the school includes
Abanindranath Tagore
  • The idea of the Bengal school came up with the works of AbanindranathTagore in the early 20th century.
  • He tried to incorporate Swadeshi values in India art and tried to reduce the influence of Western materialistic style among artists.
  • He is known for his painting Bharat Mata and various Mughal-themed paintings.
Nandalal Bose
  • His works led to further development of Modern Indian Art.
  • He was also associated with Santiniketan.
  • He is known for his white-on-black Gandhi sketch of the Dandi March, which became iconic during the 1930s.
  • He was also entrusted with the task of illuminating the original document of the Constitution of India.
Rabindranath Tagore
  • His paintings were unique as they used dominant black lines that made the subject look prominent.
  • He made small sized paintings.
  • Some art historians argue that his paintings can be linked to his writings.

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