Question

What distinguished Kangra painting from the other painting?

Answer 1

Hint: From Jammu to Almora to Garhwal, sub-Himalayan India (territories above the Northern Alluvial plain) witnessed the synthesis of this art style, displaying India’s heterogeneous art evolution. Delicate details and soft themes from mythology like Radha-Krishna are predominant here.

Complete answer: -Kangra painting gets its name from the most populous district of Himachal Pradesh, Kangra (it was historically known as Nagarkot). The three main centres of Kangra painting are Guler, Nurpur and Tira-Sujanpur.
-It evolved to reach its present state in the mid-18th century, post the dwindling of the Basohli style (it has both folk and miniature elements). It blossomed under the patronage of Raja Govardhan Chand (1744-1773)
-It is an important style of Pahari (Indo-European culture, a word in the Devanagari script which means ‘of the mountains’) painting, reaching its pinnacle under the patronage of Maharaja Sansar Chand. These pieces can be found in a museum named after him, next to the Kangra fort.
-It sprouted from the Mughal style, but the influence of the nature of the Punjab Himalayas marked a shift from the decadent portraits of their masters to drawing from bhakti and mystic poetry.
-The style is characterised by lines, the colours of red, yellow and blue. The medium used was watercolour (made of mineral and vegetable extracts), on small bits of paper or cloth. It employed a cold palette.

Note: These works are centred around the ‘shringar’ sentiment. They were also an apt representation of the society around them.