The Portrait of a Village Damsel

This fine portrait represents a rich village lady in a formal posture. Her portraiture depicts her rural base, elegance and rich status. She is holding on her left a small pitcher which may be anything from a formal element to a ritual and ceremonial appearance. She has on her person a very few ornaments, but they speak of her taste and aesthetic sense. The two necklaces, made of pearls like beads of red and green, resting upon her gradually rising breasts and corresponding to the geometric symmetry of her oval face and well rounded neck of her blouse, are more graceful and elegant than could have been dozens of jewels. The 'benda' and 'bindi' on forehead, bangles on arms and anklets on her feet appear to have become the very part of her person. She is in ceremonial rich silk consisting of deep green, red and maroon as its principal colours. Her 'lehanga' with a large frill is two sided, green from outside and maroon from inside. It has a beautiful border embroidered with gold and silver thread and inlaid with gold stars and emeralds. Her 'odhani', as good as a saree and also worn as such, is in rich scarlet red and is embroidered with gold thread. On the sleeves of her blouse she has repeated the designing pattern of the 'lehanga' border.

Batik is basically a technique more suited for creating broad and wide patterns in simple basic colours. To use it for rendering a portrait revealing inner aspects and social status of the personality portrayed, or for creating effects of gold, silver and stones, or a front face posture is a real tough job. The artist of this piece has employed his technique and skills in discovering his figure's aesthetic beauty, the frame of her mind, her elegance and taste and has made his colours to reflect gold, silver and emeralds. The cute face of his figure cast in oval shape and her alike proportionately dressed hair, balanced figure, fine features, bright large eyes, well composed lips as fresh as the new born petals of a wild rose and a delicate build could have been difficult even for the strokes of the finest brush to render. She is made to take a stride and in that the artist has packed tons of elegance and grace.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

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Of Related Interest:

Rustic Beauty (Stone Color with Black Soot on Paper)

Village Belle (Water Color on Paper)

The Village Belle (Brass Statue)

The Maiden in the Desert (Batik Painting On Cotton)