Shri Hanuman Commemorating Rama’s Name

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His basic hymn, comprising forty couplets, lauds him as one possessed of unfathomable knowledge, immeasurable virtues and unparalleled might. Lustrous his name, with it illuminates all three worlds. An emissary of Rama he is the bridge between his devotees and his Master, and thus, a redeemer from worldliness as also from the cycle of birth and death. In the entire Hindu pantheon Hanuman is not only the most widely worshipped divinity but also has dedicated to him a far greater number of shrines than has even Rama, his master. He protects his devotees always and everywhere, as also all premises that he enshrines – valleys, river crossings, descents and ascents of hills, forts and village-boundaries, and from all evil influences, maladies, ghosts and evil spirits. Fire being his body-colour, he is as strong and penetrating as vajra – thunder-bolt. The legendary courier of the herb Sanjivini that cured Lakshmana of his swoon, mere commemoration of Hanuman’s name is ever since the curer of all ailments.

Whatever the blend of human and animal forms into his being suggests – cosmic unity, oneness of existence or else, Hanuman does not have associated with him a philosophy or dogmatism, and mysticism in the least. In the huge body of Indian myths Hanuman does not have any of his devotees indulging in rigorous penance. A word uttered for summoning him assures his presence and his presence assures that an evil shall not prevail around. This son of Vayu, the Wind-god, is like wind a perpetual company to a devotee, always and everywhere an impenetrable wall between him and an imminent misfortune or danger. His mere name is the supreme ‘mantra’ capable of dispelling every evil and leading to success in all walks of life.

His Master’s servant always eager to serve Him, or move for accomplishing a devotee’s prayer, Hanuman is always in a posture of readiness, and hence more often the tradition has visualized his images as standing – a posture reflecting readiness, invariably with a mace in hand, and sometimes also the Mount Dron with herb Sanjivini on it. However, not warfare or weapons, his dedication to his Master is the essence of Hanuman’ being. He has Rama in his bosom when he carries his weapon but also when he does not carry any. Thus, Hanuman’s form as engaged in meditating on Rama is his more fundamental form, and the same the artist of this piece has sought to reproduce.

A votive image of a mythical being, in this wondrous portrayal Hanuman is so life-like, in physiognomy, body-colour, naturalness of posture, expression on the face, and in discovering each body-hair that one feels that he might get up any moment and begin walking. In its aesthetic beauty, too, the figure of the monkey-god, as represented in this painting, is unsurpassed. Even his monkey-face protruding a little has been amazingly balanced with a white silken beard, Vaishnava ‘tilaka’ mark on the forehead and a rich towering crown. Besides a Vaijayanti – garland of celestial flower that Lord Vishnu and his incarnations wore, gems-studded gold ornaments and red loincloth and a green sash with golden border, the artist has made a delightful use of the monkey-god’s long tail. Supported on his right shoulder it looks like a rounded muffler made of fur. The figure of the monkey-god has been rendered against a background having a river immediately behind him, a distant landscape and a temple. The depth perspective reveals quite powerfully.

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.