Towards the New Home

$165
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Time required to recreate this artwork
6 to 8 weeks
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$33 (20%)
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$132
Item Code: PM93
Artist: Rabi Behera
Specifications:
Water Color Painting on Tussar SilkFolk Art From The Temple Town Puri (Orissa)Artist: Rabi Behera
Dimensions 40.0 inches X 17.5 inches
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
Fair trade
Fair trade
This brilliant ‘pata-chitra’ – cloth-painting, rendered using a wide range of colours on fine Orissa silk in characteristic Orissa idiom of cloth painting, represents the last phase of the marriage ritual : the bridegroom returning home with his bride in full procession and great regalia. The entire paraphernalia – a white stallion-riding princely bridegroom in a diadem, a crowned bride in royal palanquin, umbrella and standard bearers, bands of dancers and musicians and rich costumes even of the palanquin-bearers, suggests that the portrayed scene is a part of a royal wedding of erstwhile days.

Painted in the centre, the bride, seated in a canopied palanquin with a richly adorned top and an elevated finial, comprises the axis and the focal point of the painting. For giving her form greater eminence the artist has abstained from portraying anyone from the procession in direct line with her. The palanquin’s exceptionally colourful top looking like a temple’s slanting dome with a splendid finial along its gorgeous base surmounting it, its dominating large size with a beautifully embellished shaft and two rhythmically curved fish-forms comprising the palanquin’s two side planks, outdo any other form, human or any, even the princely bridegroom, and dominate the entire scenario.

The entire scene is laid against a dark deep background, such as does not easily yield forms but once a form has been discovered against it, its lustre is unique, the same as in this painting. Not merely the human figures, their brilliant costumes and jewellery, the articles they are carrying, the forms of trees, the green earth below or grey clouds in the sky, even the tiny flower-bunches and white beads given the look of floral motifs, lying scattered over the entire field, captivate the eye. The dark background, green earth and grey clouds reveal the velvet’s softness and lustre. Stylised as these are, conceived with identical trunks and their bases, alike tenderly drawn slender branches and stems, and the shape and size of leaves, and though just a few in number, the variously coloured trees effectively define the background and break its monotony.

The marriage procession is on way back. The entire procession has been divided into two files, the frontal, or the main, being led by the bridegroom himself. He is riding a richly ornamented and saddled white stallion having the look of a mythical horse. He is attended by a royal umbrella-bearer. Different from his entire team, the members of which are only partially clad mainly in ‘antariyas’ – lower wears, and a sash over their shoulders, the bridegroom is putting on a full-sleeved skirting breast coat with a rich waist-band, besides the usual ‘antariya’ and sash. Exactly behind him are two palanquin-bearers, the bride seated in the palanquin, followed by two palanquin-bearers on the other side, and behind them are a drummer, trumpet blower and the portable chandelier-carrier. The foremost in the upper register is a fire-worker lighting a cracker. He is followed by a band of dancers and musicians with drums. On the other side of the palanquin there is the auspicious rope-carrier with chandelier-bearer and luggage-carrying porters following him.

This horizontal folio, with every inch of its space covered with elegant forms, gently gesticulated figures conceived with unique anatomical balance and well defined iconography, and a few decorative motifs, reveals exceptional beauty in characteristic Orissa pata-chitra style, an art-tradition still live and widely used in entire Orissa and Midanapur like centres of art in Bengal. Tall figures, strong sharp iconographic features with large eyes and exceptionally pointed nose and chin, and often a highly diversified imagery, rendered using a wide range of bright basic colours, and the cult of embellishing the canvas, especially the border, broadly the features that this painting showcases, are the broad characteristics of Orissa pata-chitra. The painting is contained in a multi-tiered border, the main consisting of floral and vine patterns with linear frames binding it, and the inner-most, a delicate band with leaf, lines and flower-motifs on a marble-white background.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.


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Mastering the Ancient Technique: Exploring the Meticulous Creation of Pattachitra Paintings

The traditional Pattachitra is a scroll painting that is done on cloth. This is revealed in the name; Pattachitra is a Sanskrit term made from two words i.e. Patta meaning cloth and Chitra meaning picture. The main subject of this painting is portraying Hindu mythological narratives, scenes from religious texts, and folktales. Pattachitra paintings are especially practiced in eastern Indian states such as West Bengal and Odisha, and also in some parts of Bangladesh. This art form is closely related to Shri Jagannath and the tradition of the Vaishnava sect. It is believed that Pattachitra art originated in the 11th century and the people of Odisha practice it even today without any discrepancy. Bengalis use these scroll paintings for ritual purposes (as a visual device) during the performance of a song or Aarti.
Pattachitra paintings are characterized by creative and traditional motifs/designs, decorative borders, and bright colorful applications. The outline of the figure and motifs are bold and sharp. Some common shapes and motifs seen in these paintings are trees, flowers, leaves, elephants, and other creatures. The artists of Odisha and Bengal still use the traditional method of painting which gives a unique look to it altogether.

1. Canvas is prepared

The process of painting a Pattachitra begins by preparing the canvas (patta). Generally, cotton cloth is used for making the canvas. The local artists dip the cotton cloth in a mixture of tamarind seeds and water for a few days. The cloth is then taken out and dried in the sun. Now natural gum is applied over it to stick another layer of cotton cloth on it. Thus a thick layer of cotton cloth is formed. This layered cotton is sun-dried and a paste of chalk powder, tamarind, and gum is applied on both sides. The surface of the cloth is then rubbed with two different stones for smoothening and it is again dried. This process gives the cloth a leathery finish and it is now ready to be painted.
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2. Natural colors are made using traditional method

The painters prepare and use vegetable and mineral colors for application in the painting. White color is made from conch shells, black is made by burning coconut shells, Hingula is used for red color, Ramaraja for blue, and Haritala for yellow.
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3. Colors are filled in

The artist now makes a double-lined border on all four sides of the canvas. The local artists are so expert in painting that they do not draw figures and motifs with pencil but directly draw them with a brush. The paint brushes that the painters use are made of the hair of domestic animals, a bunch of which is tied to the end of a bamboo stick. The figures are now painted with natural colors using the indigenous brushes. The outline is thickened with black color.
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4. Painting is given a finishing

Finally, the painting is varnished/glazed to protect it from any damage and to get a glossy shine on the surface.

The making of a Pattachitra is laborious work and therefore, one painting may sometimes take over a month to complete. Due to their classical look, these paintings are admired by people from all over the world. The artistic skills used in Pattachitra are passed down from one generation to another and thus are preserved to date.
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