Rajput Miniature Art traces its roots all the way back to the Mughals. In 1555, Emperor Humayun brought along Persian painters who excelled in this school of painting. This style flourished in India, especially under Akbar, who encouraged Hindu painters to utilize this form and also add more of their own culture into it. Soon, these painters were serving in courts of Rajasthani or Rajput rulers. Characteristics of Rajput Miniature Art include scenes from daily life. Inspired by their Mughal predecessors, they are painted with close attention to detail and in bold colours representing the romantic lives that they depict. Ananda Coomaraswamy, a pioneer of Miniature art divided it into several schools of art, more or less basing it on the areas to which they were popular to. The main schools of miniature art are Mewar, Bundi, Kotah, Marwar, Bikaner, Jaipur, and Kishangarh. Apart from the different origins of these groups, they also have a few distinctions in their content. For example, the school of Mewar had bold lines and burning colours, whereas Bundi was gentler, and more lyrical.
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Francis Newton Souza
Francis Newton Souza was born in the village of Saligao, Goa on April 12th, 1924. He was educated in St. Xavier’s College in Bombay, but was expelled for drawing graffiti in the toilets. However, he claims that he was only improving on a previous drawing, just because he thought it was very ugly. Later, he attended the Sir J.J School of Art, one of India’s most prestigious art schools, but expelled in 1945 due to his support of the Quit India Movement. Souza’s style of work has been defined as expressionistic. He has had wide recognition in the West. The Times of India describes it as this: "Be it the sluts or the suits, the seamy side of life or the steamy, the gnomish, pox-scarred boy from Goa who went on to become one of the first Indian artists to be feted in the salons of Europe, laid it bare."
A strong Catholic, many of Souza’s paintings focus on scenes from the Bible. His other inspirations include a strong sense of patriotism. Though Souza eventually moved to London, and then to New York soon after, he visited his home country every winter. He enjoys the use of bold colours and also erotic scenes, which he says were both inspired by the Indian culture. He also founded the Bombay Progressive Artist’s Group, which is still active today in producing avant-garde works of art.
http://www.fnsouza.com%2f
http://.contemporaryindianart.com%2ffrancis_newton_souza.htm
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