A Mother Consoling Her Newly Wedded Daughter

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In an attempt to dispel her daughter’s pain and relieve her mind of the turmoil it is boiling with, the affectionate mother clasps her to her bosom – her inexhaustible support and stay. She seems to be consoling her by her gesture, besides by her words, as if assuring her daughter that she has behind her a mother as formidable as a rock. She assumes on her lips a smile, and a body-language assuring her daughter that she is not worried or upset and that such tit-bits do occur in early married life, and that once the two understood each other everything would set right; however, whatever her words, or the meaning of her smile or of her gesture, in the corners of her eyes lurks a deep concern and anxiety over her daughter’s future. As for her daughter, the pain in her eyes is deeper than the words and gesture of her mother can dilute. Her fast gripped hands reveal her mood: a turbulent mind but determined to finally decide: this or that.

This aspect of portrait-painting, not portraying merely the physique : the exterior, but also the mind : a person’s interior, his intrinsic being, a feature that the painters of the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries added to Indian art, was for certain a European element which infused into Indian art fresh life vigour and gave it unique breadth, especially in portraying the variety of emotional situations inherent to Indian life – individual and social, and so foreign to the life in Europe. This assimilation of the variety of emotional situations of Indian life and the technique and emphasis of the European art on portraying a person or situation inside-out attributed to modern Indian painting a place beyond par and its foremost champion was Raja Ravi Varma, one of the founders of this new art form.

Himself from a royal family and hence well versed in courtly lifestyle Raja Ravi Varma brought to canvas on one hand kings, queens, princes, princesses and others, and their regalia, surroundings and courtly culture, and on the other, a sensitive artist as he was linked to grass-root and hence not unknown to plight of Indian masses, he infused into them the common man’s woes, worries and concerns not seen in art anywhere ever before. This infusion of a common mother’s concern into a royal-mother’s portrayal, as attempts this canvas, and attempts it wonderfully well, has been the outstanding feature of Raja Ravi Varma’s portraits. This painting, a thematic rendition as also a portrait, a depiction of the tradition as reveals in the ensembles and jewellery of the two figures and in the mother’s concern for her daughter, as also a departure from it as reflects in the modus of treating its subject, adheres in its exactness to a painting by Raja Ravi Varma portraying this very situation, in its spirit, sensitive treatment and style and form. As in the painting of Raja Ravi Varma, this contemporary art-piece pays as much attention to portraying the beauty of form as to revealing the two figures’ minds. The background is dark but not formless. Identically to the mind of the young girl, the darkness in the background is the product of the diffusion of forms, not their absence.

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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Oil painting technique – India centric

Oil painting is the most interesting technique in art. Unlike other paintings or art forms, oil painting is a process in which colored pigments are painted on the canvas with a drying oil medium as a binder. This medium helps colors blend beautifully to create layers and also makes them appear rich and dense. Several varieties of oil are used in this painting such as sunflower oil, linseed oil, etc., and depending on the quality of the oil, a particular consistency of the paint is developed. With the use of an oil medium, the painting gets a natural sheen on the surface which appears extremely attractive. India is famous for its old tradition of making oil paintings. This art form was brought by Europeans in the 18th century and is now practiced by almost all well-known artists. Nirmal, a small tribal town in the state of Telangana is the center of traditional oil paintings in India where the local people practice it with dedication. Most Indian artists still use the traditional technique of oil painting.

Canvas of the required size is prepared

The artists use either a wood panel or canvas made from linen or cotton. Sometimes the canvas is stretched onto the wooden frame to form a solid base, or cardboard may be used. The canvas is coated with a layer of white paint or chalk mixed with animal glue. This mixture is then smoothed and dried to form a uniform, textured surface. The wooden panel is more expensive and heavier but its solidity is an advantage in making detailed paintings with ease.

Sketch is drawn on the canvas

Now the artist starts to draw the subject of the painting on the canvas using the actual charcoal or a charcoal pencil. Sometimes, he may sketch with thinned paint as well.

Oil paint is applied using paint brushes or palette knives

Now that the rough sketch is prepared, the artist is now ready to paint. Oil paint, a special paint that contains particles of pigments suspended in a drying oil (usually linseed oil), is again mixed with oil to make it thinner for applying it on the canvas. Proper consistency of the paint is maintained to avoid its breakage. The most important rule for the application of oil paint is “Fat over lean” in which the first layer of paint is thin and later, thicker layers are applied. This means that each additional layer of paint contains more oil. This results in getting a stable paint film. Traditionally, paint was applied using paint brushes but now the artists also use palette knives to create crisp strokes. To paint using this technique, the edge of the palette knife is used to create textured strokes that appear different from that of a paintbrush. Sometimes, oil paints are blended simply using fingers for getting the desired gradation.

Smaller oil paintings, with very fine detail, are relatively easier to paint than larger ones. The most attractive feature of these paintings is the natural shiny appearance that is obtained on the surface because of the use of oil paint. The blending of colors looks extremely realistic and this is the reason why oil paintings are loved by everyone throughout the world.