Jodhpur’s Magnificent Miniatures
Showing at the British Museum until the 23rd of August an astonishing collection of previously unknown miniature paintings has gone on display. Miniature in style certainly not in size or stature, they depict courtly and religious scenes from the 17th to 19th Century. The exhibition is called Gardens and Cosmos and is absolutely stunning and even compares to the unique collection of miniatures in the City Palace of Udaipur. The Jodhpur paintings were lost until very recently but fortunately they have been found in pristine condition and the colours are vibrant as ever.
Typically 4 or 5 feet long by two or three feet wide they are unusually large in size yet the quality and detail of the painting is wonderful. “The Death of Vali” is one of the finest in the collection, a small section of which is shown above. It tells the story of Rama who has recently slain Vali in his quest to rescue Sita, his wife, from the clutches of the demon king Ravana. This event happened just as mosoon was setting in, hence the dramatic dark clouds. The flamboyance of the clouds, intensity of the colours and the variety of animals including the elephants who almost seem to be dancing, is a huge departure from the more controlled Moghul courtly paintings that inspired the Jodhpur style. This is typical of the cultural collision that occurred between the Moghuls and Rajput rulers of Rajasthan from the 16th to early 19th century and can today be seen all over the palaces and forts of Rajasthan.
When the exhibition ends the show will go back to Jodhpur and be on display to the general public which is fantastic news, for more information visit the British Museum site here. There is also an excellent book to accompany the exhibition that can be purchased from Amazon or the museum shop.
Contact India Beat
