Mithila or Mithilanchal is a historic region divided between India and Nepal. Mithila is the land of King Mithi and even got its name from the legendary King Mithi. Today, Mithila is widely known or recognised as the birthplace of Sita or Maithali, the consort of Lord Rama, the hero of the epic Ramayana. Mithila stands as a religious hub attracting thousands of devotees from around the globe, but apart from its religious significance, it is famous for its culture, food, tradition, and art form. One such art form is Maithali Painting.
Mithila painting, also known as Madhubani art, originated in the Mithila region of Bihar, India.. It has been traditionally made by women on mud walls during festivals and ceremonies since the Ramayana. Natural paints and dyes are used in this art style, which has complex patterns and vivid hues. Folklore, nature, and mythology are common themes. It is now practiced on paper and canvas, maintaining a rich cultural legacy, and has acquired international prominence. Madhubani painting evolved as a means for women to use vibrant colors to adorn their houses’ walls and ceilings. By embracing new concepts over time, the painting style has been successful in creating a distinct personality across the globe. The two most significant villages connected to the growth of Madhubani art are Jitwarpur and Ranti. These two communities have become almost iconic, with some historians calling Jitwarpur an exhibition village.
History
It’s unclear where Madhubani painting originated. Some of the earliest allusions to this exquisite art style may be found in Hindu epics such as the Ramayana, in which the father of the goddess Sita, King Janaka, requested that the greatest artists in his realm produce a Madhubani painting for his daughter’s wedding. One example of the knowledge of this wonderful art form being physically passed down from one generation to the next, which eventually resulted in these paintings becoming the favored artwork in every home in the area. The ladies of the community began practicing these paintings on the walls of their homes to depict their thoughts, dreams, and hopes, as evidenced by a number of historical texts and artifacts.
In the 1930s, Mithila art was first documented. These wall and floor murals were discovered by British civil servant W.G. Archer during his inspection of the region following the 1934 earthquake in Bihar. Over the next fifteen years, he and his wife, Mildred, took pictures and published their findings. Indian academics were more interested in it in the 1950s and 1960s. However, the region’s drought in 1966 was the catalyst for its evolution from a regional and domestic art form to a national one. The All India Handicrafts Board encouraged women in the area to transfer their wall paintings onto paper for sale in the 1970s in an attempt to help those impacted by the drought financially. This crucial phase in Mithila painting history is represented by the majority of the pieces in Saffronart‘s “Colours of the Earth” from the Story.
Raw materials
Natural and locally sourced raw materials are used in Mithila painting. Traditionally, artists have used walls, linen, or handmade paper as the foundation. Natural substances are used to create colours, such as soot for black, indigo for blue, and turmeric for yellow. Twigs, cotton, or bamboo sticks are frequently used to make brushes. Wall surfaces can be prepared using mud and cow manure. The sustainable, traditional methods that characterize the core of this folk art are reflected in these environmentally friendly instruments and materials
Process
The first step in the Mithila painting method is to prepare the surface walls using either paper with a light base or mud and cow dung. Fine twigs or pen nibs are used by artists to create complex outlines. Vibrant colors are added to the artwork using natural paints and dyes. Nature, animals, and deities are common topics. Geometric patterns are used to detail borders. There isn’t a single empty place. The painting is dried and occasionally coated for preservation after it is finished. The entire process is a reflection of creativity and local customs.
Women typically offer prayers to the gods before beginning their paintings in order to win their favor for their goals or customs. The artisans prepare the colors by hand. The red of the Kusum flower, the green leaf of the applewood tree, the white of rice powder, the orange of the Palash flower, the black color is made by combining blight with cow manure, the yellow color is made using turmeric and banyan leaf milk, and the blue is produced from indigo. Red is frequently used as the primary hue in artwork. Outlines are made with a bamboo twig. To add color, a small piece of cloth called pihua is fastened to a twig.
Motifs and Artform
Mithila paintings include elaborate patterns that are rich in tradition and symbolism. Gods, goddesses, plants, animals, and scenes from everyday life and mythology are common motifs. The composition is improved with intricate borders and geometric patterns. Bold and vivid colors, such as vermilion (red), indigo (blue), and turmeric (yellow), are derived from natural sources. Instead of leaving empty spaces, artists cover them with patterns, flowers, or leaves. The unique and expressive style of Mithila art is derived from the use of double lines and stark contrasts.
Women from all castes practiced Mithila painting, an art tradition unaffected by stylistic influences. In her dissertation “Art and Assertion of Identity: Women and Madhubani Paintings,” art historian Neel Rekha points out that one result of the shift to paper as a medium in the 1970s was the creation of various painting styles. These can be generically classified as Godana (tattoo), Geru, Bharni, Kachni, Tantric, and Gobar (cow dung).
The majority of paintings from the early 1970s had strong black lines and lacked decoration, resembling the Geru style of folk art. The Kachni (lined) style is distinguished by the complex use of line to produce rich, lovely patterns, whereas the Bharni (filled) style uses bright colors and largely avoids lines. Maithil artists also maintain their independence when it comes to their content, which ranges from snapshots of their everyday lives to legendary epics and celebrations of rituals and significant occasions. Theirs is picture writing is, and just as it was when this custom was exclusive to these women’s households, their thoughts and experiences are still crucial to this art form.
Madhubani’s paintings frequently feature fish as a motif. The fish sign is understood by the residents of Madhubani, Bihar, as the place’s identity. They place a high value on fish both historically and culturally. It is also regarded as a representation of prosperity and fertility. Fish is shown in the Madhubani paintings as a fortunate emblem in the life of the local populace. Because there are so many ponds and other bodies of water in the area, fish are widely available there as well as throughout much of Bihar. For most individuals, rice and fish curry are staple foods. The locals consider fish to be an essential part of life from start to finish.
Another common element in Madhubani paintings is the sign of the sun and moon. They are revered on all major occasions, including Chhath Puja, Bhai Duj, Satyanarayan Puja, and other festivals, and are perceived as divine beings. The sun’s brightness represents hope that a marriage will illuminate the family. The Madhubani artists and people typically make Madhubani-style decorations on the walls and floors during these events. The sun is typically on the left side of these alpanas, which are beautiful motifs, and the moon is on the right. Since the sun and moon are considered divine beings in this culture, they play a significant role in many festivals and rites.
Lotus flowers are a symbol of prosperity, purity, and auspiciousness, as is the case with many other images in the Madhubani painting tradition. In Madhubani, Bihar, the lotus blossoms are also an essential component of the local landscape. It is frequently connected to female sexuality, likening women to the delicate lotus petals that persevere in the face of adversity. The lotus flower depicted in Madhubani paintings is supposedly interpreted as a symbol of one’s life blooming with colors despite all the challenges that arise, much like the lotus that grows with its vivid color among a murky pond.
The Madhubani paintings’ depictions of local ladies are among their most exquisite themes. These paintings frequently feature village ladies, highlighting the significance of women in the community. Madhubani art has always been created by women. They have long been in the center of the community’s artistic and cultural life. Madhubani art has advanced significantly as a result of their involvement. Men have recently started learning how to paint Madhubani. It is customary for women to make Kohbar during wedding ceremonies. A particular type of Madhubani painting known as kohbar is typically painted on a wall in the newlyweds’ bridal chamber.
The National Bird of India, the peacock, holds great significance in almost all folk and tribal paintings of India. Similarly, in Madhubani, the peacock is a symbol of love and romance, an essential part of the wedded life. It is also a symbol of respect and integrity. A pair of peacocks together symbolise eternity, love, and prosperity. According to prominent Art Historian Jyotindra Jain, peacocks are a symbol of love and fertility. While W.G.Archer associates it with the Hindu deity Krishna, who often adorned peacock feathers. The importance of peacocks in Madhubani is also evident from the fact that the paintings sometimes also depict entire borders made out of peacock motifs.
Parrots have been an important part of the cultural history of India since the ancient period. Numerous sculptures from the ancient period depict parrots or an association of people with parrots. During the medieval period, parrots played roles as storytellers or narrators in the illustrated manuscripts. The same is true for Madhubani paintings as well, which depict parrots as love birds. This makes them an important addition in the Kohbar paintings.
Further, we can say Madhubani art primarily focuses on three subjects: religious themes, social settings, and natural aspects.
Religion
Popular Hindu deities like Durga, Krishna, Lakshmi, Rama, Saraswati, and Shiva are typically the focus of the themes. Additionally, you may occasionally see celestial phenomena like the Sun and Moon serving as the focal point of these exquisite paintings. Madhubani paintings depicting scenes from royal courts and social gatherings, such as weddings, can also be seen. The usage of geometric patterns, which are rather obvious at first glance, is one thing that all of them have in common. These exquisite traditional Madhubani paintings are even more captivating and unforgettable to look at because they incorporate these intricate mathematical patterns.
Social
Madhubani paintings masterfully capture images from everyday rural Indian life, from markets and harvests to the royal court and children playing. With messages of fertility and love, wedding rituals are particularly sought after.
Nature
One of the most important aspects of Madhubani paintings is the wealth and beauty of nature. The sun, moon, birds, animals, the holy Tulsi plant, and banyan trees are among the most cherished pictures.
An important canon of Mithila art is created by the documented and ascribed works of Indrakala Devi and Annapurna Devi, among others. Important early painters in this school included the Karn Kayastha Ganga Devi, the Mahapatra Brahmin Sita Devi, and the Harijan Jumna Devi. Each had a unique style. India has been represented by both Ganga Devi and Sita Devi in significant cultural events in the USA, Europe, Russia, and Japan.
The Present situation
These days, Madhubani historical paintings adorn the surfaces of numerous home décor pieces and accessories in addition to clay walls and other artifacts. Madhubani paintings are now appreciated all over the world. Large collections of Madhubani paintings can be found in museums such as the Arts and Crafts Museum in New Delhi, the Chandradhari Mithila Museum in Darbhanga, the Museum of Sacred Art in Belgium, the Mithila Museum in Japan, and the Museum of Norway. Aside from that, a lot of modern artists paint in the Madhubani style for enjoyment as well as to experiment with visual languages. Scholars, enthusiastic art collectors, supporters of ethnic art, and laypeople with little exposure to the subtleties of fine arts are all drawn to the simplicity and vitality of Madhubani paintings.
Since the 1970s, scholarship on Mithila paintings has been essential to expanding our understanding of the art form. In the 1970s, French novelist and journalist Yves Vequad created the groundbreaking book and film The Women Painters of Mithila. Raymond Lee Owens, another researcher, founded the Ethnic Arts Foundation in 1980 and the Master Craftsmen Association of Mithila in 1977. Through exhibitions and sales, this group, which is still in operation, regularly generates revenue for local artists. Established in 2003 at the late Owens’ bequest, the Mithila Art Institute (MAI) is a vital resource for the transmission of methods and the unique Maithil painting culture. Approximately 850 Madhubani paintings are on display at the Mithila Museum in Tokamachi, Japan.
References
- http://indianculture.gov.in/paintings/madhubani-paintings
- https://share.google/MZBRS9hNvNaRRXBDJ
- https://laasyaart.com/from-mud-huts-to-paper-the-story-of-madhubani-painting/
- https://madhubani.nic.in/handicraft/
- https://www.perniaspopupshop.com/encyclopedia/bihar/madhubani?srsltid=AfmBOoqp_Z7tyvBULofFzyUc3RittduD73Wuh82yX5Ota_tRfgo3W8T3