Miniature Paintings
The paintings on this site are from 20th century masters of Vedic art, which have been collected over the last 25 years. These are originals, not copies of other artists' work, which is sadly common, especially in Rajasthan. The paintings by BG Sharma that are shown here have been widely copied, but these are originals that I obtained from him personally many years ago. Most of the paintings are from Rajasthan, aside from the Kerala mural paintings, and a couple of paintings by Sohan Billwaria of Jammu.
Varaha (Boar Incarnation of Vishnu) by B.G. Sharma
This is from B.G. Sharma's well-known 10 incarnations of Vishnu series. Varaha was said to have lifted the Earth from the primordial ocean. Natural pigments on paper, 14 1/4” x 16” including painted border.
B.G. Sharma
Bhanwar lal Girdhari lal Sharma, who is now deceased, was famous for his miniature devotional paintings and his rejuvenation and popularization of the classical Rajasthani art forms. He was well-known in the West as well as in India. His paintings have been published in several beautiful books as well as on calendars and widely copied.
B.G. Sharma was born into a family of artists in Nathdwara, a small temple town near Udaipur in Rajasthan. He died in November 2007.
Former Indian Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Queen Elizabeth II of England and former Australian Prime Minister Malcom Fraser all commission works from B.G. Sharma. He received many awards for his work, including India's National Award.
Books featuring B.G. Sharma's art include:
* Form of Beauty: The Krishna Art of B.G. Sharma by Swami B. V. Tripurari and B.G. Sharma (2005)
* Ramayana: A Tale of Gods and Demons (Mandala Classics) by Ranchor Prime and B.G. Sharma (2004)
* Beauty, Power and Grace: The Many Faces of the Goddess by Krishna Dharma, B.G. Sharma and Mahaveer Swami (2004)
B.G. Sharma was born into a family of artists in Nathdwara, a small temple town near Udaipur in Rajasthan. He died in November 2007.
Former Indian Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Queen Elizabeth II of England and former Australian Prime Minister Malcom Fraser all commission works from B.G. Sharma. He received many awards for his work, including India's National Award.
Books featuring B.G. Sharma's art include:
* Form of Beauty: The Krishna Art of B.G. Sharma by Swami B. V. Tripurari and B.G. Sharma (2005)
* Ramayana: A Tale of Gods and Demons (Mandala Classics) by Ranchor Prime and B.G. Sharma (2004)
* Beauty, Power and Grace: The Many Faces of the Goddess by Krishna Dharma, B.G. Sharma and Mahaveer Swami (2004)
Shiva by Damodar Sharma
Shiva
Ganesh by Damodar Sharma
Ganesh is the son of Shiva and Parvati. The Puranas contain two different stories as to how Ganapati happened to have the elephant's head. Once Parvati pointed out to Ganapati the planet Saturn, and his head got burned down due to the ocular power of Saturn, and according to one story Ganapati's head thus lost was replaced with that of an elephant. The other story is more interesting. When once Shiva tried to enter the room where Parvati had gone to take her bath clad in a single clothing Ganapati prevented Shiva from doing so. Shiva, enraged at the obstruction made by Ganapati, cut off his head, and when his anger was cooled down he replaced Ganapati's lost head with that of an elephant.
Ganesh has many epithets (names), of which Ganapati is probably the most common. He is also called Vignesvara, Lord of Obstacles, because he is both the creator and remover of obstacles.
This painting depicts Ganesh doing puja to a Shiva Linga.
Ganesh has many epithets (names), of which Ganapati is probably the most common. He is also called Vignesvara, Lord of Obstacles, because he is both the creator and remover of obstacles.
This painting depicts Ganesh doing puja to a Shiva Linga.
Ganga by Damodar Sharma
All the holy rivers of India are regarded as being divine goddesses. Ganga is shown here on her vahana, a crocodile.
Damodar Sharma
Damodar Sharma is one of India's premier miniature artists. He has a delicate touch and a perfectionist's obsession with detail. His work is so fine that even enlarged several times, you can barely make out the brush strokes. He does virtually all of his work with a single-hair brush. He is now in his early 40s, but even two years ago when I saw him last, he was still not using glasses for details most people couldn't even see without a magnifier! His style is so fine that other artists are afraid to attempt to copy his work.
Damodar's paintings are natural mineral pigments on paper. He never uses any commercial pigments in his work. The finishing process involves rubbing with a smooth stone to create a polished effect. As I recall, the paintings measure approximately 2.5"x4", excluding the red painted border.
His work is the finest I've ever seen. Even magnified a few times, you can barely see the brush strokes. And no, he definitely doesn't use an airbrush.
NB: When I contact him 3 years ago, he was asking $8,000 USD for a painting like these. Probably it's more now.
Damodar's paintings are natural mineral pigments on paper. He never uses any commercial pigments in his work. The finishing process involves rubbing with a smooth stone to create a polished effect. As I recall, the paintings measure approximately 2.5"x4", excluding the red painted border.
His work is the finest I've ever seen. Even magnified a few times, you can barely see the brush strokes. And no, he definitely doesn't use an airbrush.
NB: When I contact him 3 years ago, he was asking $8,000 USD for a painting like these. Probably it's more now.
Vishnu Standing on on Lotus with Sesha by Shyam Sharma
7 3/8" x 10 1/2"
Shiva Pradosha by Shyam Sharma
Shiva Pradosha is a lovely subject. In this form, he is dancing for Parvati at sunrise.
Shiva Meditating by Shyam Sharma
7 1/4 x 10 1/2
Ganga on a Crocodile by Shyam Sharma
7 1/4 x 10 1/2
Yashoda Feeding Baby Krishna by Shyam Sharma
Standing Ganesh (Bhojpatra) by Shyam Sharma
Natural pigments on bhojpatra (birchbark), 2 7/8" x 4 7/8"
Shyam Sharma
Shyam Sharma, the first artist I met in India, will always be one of my favorites. Shyam has made his home in Nathdwara, a temple town of 10,000 or so in Rajasthan that is home to as many as 300 families of artists. He is a little different from the others, however. He was born in Madhya Pradesh in 1955, but as he was already showing great talent at the tender age of five, he was sent by his parents to study painting with his maternal grandfather, Nainsukh, who was a master artist. The tradition among Nathdwara artists is to study with a guru, copying all his work over and over until it can be reproduced perfectly. The great majority of artists there never progress beyond what they have learned from their gurus and continue to spend their whole lives reproducing the same paintings, Krishna and sometimes Yamuna, with only slight variations.
Shyam, on the other hand, has a marvelous imagination, and he also studies the dhyana slokas to learn and understand all the forms. If you name any Vedic subject, however obscure, he closes his eyes and meditates on it for a few minutes, then pulls out a pencil and creates a beautiful sketch of his vision right in front of you. It's really wonderful to watch him work.
He uses mainly natural mineral pigments in his work. All of his paintings are on paper.
He is a devotee of Lord Krishna as Sri Nathji, the murti of the temple for which the town is named. He goes to the temple every morning to perform his devotions. Along with the other artists in the town, he takes his turn to work in the temple maintaining the paintings there. His work reflects his devotion, and is filled with his bliss.
Shyam is a winner of the National Award for Master Craftspersons, India's highest award for artists.
Shyam, on the other hand, has a marvelous imagination, and he also studies the dhyana slokas to learn and understand all the forms. If you name any Vedic subject, however obscure, he closes his eyes and meditates on it for a few minutes, then pulls out a pencil and creates a beautiful sketch of his vision right in front of you. It's really wonderful to watch him work.
He uses mainly natural mineral pigments in his work. All of his paintings are on paper.
He is a devotee of Lord Krishna as Sri Nathji, the murti of the temple for which the town is named. He goes to the temple every morning to perform his devotions. Along with the other artists in the town, he takes his turn to work in the temple maintaining the paintings there. His work reflects his devotion, and is filled with his bliss.
Shyam is a winner of the National Award for Master Craftspersons, India's highest award for artists.
Ganga with Crocodile by Shammi Bannu
All of the holy rivers of India are seen as devis, manifestations of the divine feminine. This is Ganga, the personification of the Ganges River, who is traditionally depicted as riding on a crocodile. This painting was in the University of Iowa Art Museum exhibition in 1998.
Rg Veda (Four Vedas Series) by Shammi Bannu
This is a magnificent series of paintings, of a subject rarely seen. Several years ago, I gave him the richas (verses of the Rg Veda) describing the four Vedas with animal forms and asked him to paint them. He had never seen these subjects, so he meditated and painted what came to him during meditation.
Sama Veda (Four Veda Series) by Shammi Bannu
Yajur Veda (Four Veda Series) by Shammi Bannu
Atharva Veda (Four Vedas Series) by Shammi Bannu
Kalki by Shammi Bannu
Kalki is the next avatar of Vishnu, one of the ten dasavatars. For more information about this avatara, please see the dasavatara series under 'Kerala Mural Paintings'.
Agni by Shammi Bannu
This is another extremely rare subject that was painted from a descriptive verse or dhyana sloka. Agni is fire and the banner in his hand is, fittingly, made of smoke. He is shown here with his consort and his vehicle, the parrots.
Agni stands next to Indra in importance in the Vedas. Because Agni was indispensable for yagas the care of Agni became very important. According to the Rgveda the birth of Agni is different. Born of the clouds Agni reaches the earth as lightning. Then Agni forsakes its form and becomes invisible. It was Matarisva who gave form to Agni and gave him to the Bhrgu family. From that day onwards it became possible to produce fire and the Rgveda describes how Agni is produced by sages by the use of arani sticks. The main job of Agni is to receive the oblations from devas when they conduct yagyas.
Agni stands next to Indra in importance in the Vedas. Because Agni was indispensable for yagas the care of Agni became very important. According to the Rgveda the birth of Agni is different. Born of the clouds Agni reaches the earth as lightning. Then Agni forsakes its form and becomes invisible. It was Matarisva who gave form to Agni and gave him to the Bhrgu family. From that day onwards it became possible to produce fire and the Rgveda describes how Agni is produced by sages by the use of arani sticks. The main job of Agni is to receive the oblations from devas when they conduct yagyas.
Ganga by Shammi Bannu
Shammi Bannu (Sharma)
Another of my favorite artists. Shammi Bannu is the son of the renowned artist BannuJi (Ved Pal Sharma), whose work found great favor with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. His ancestors were court painters from the time of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur, and his family has continued in this line generation after generation. Carrying on the family tradition, he is an outstanding artist in his own right. He continues to work in the traditional ways, all the knowledge and skills of the craft having been passed down from his forefathers through his illustrious father. BannuJi's work in the field of restoration have been fundamental to the preservation of the art of miniature painting in India. Shammi has also continued with his own research in the area of natural pigments and has begun an extensive survey of the methods and materials of the craft, documenting the visual research that his father carried out during more than 30 years.
Elephants Worshipping Lakshmi by Ghanshyam Nimbark
This is an original concept of the artist I have never seen elsewhere.
Ghanshyam Nimbark
Ghanshyam has been awarded both the National Award for master craftspersons and the state award. Ghanshyam also came from outside the artist community. Born in a family of priests at Ghanerao, he used to win prizes at school for his artistic endeavors. After graduation, he went to work procuring old paintings for and antique dealer. He tried his hand at copying these paintings and was able to convince the dealer that it was easier and more profitable to manufacture the paintings than to search them out. Although he is a self-taught artist, he went on to win the National Award in 1988.
Hanuman by Shiv Shanker
This is a painting of Hanuman, the great devotee of Lord Ram, who took the form of a monkey. His story is told in the Ramayana.
Shiv Shanker (Sharma)
Shiv Shanker has a wonderful delicate style. His own originals are extremely hard to come by, however, as now he prefers to let his assistants do almost all of his work.
Ganesh Seated by a Lake by Damodar Lal Gurjar
This painting was in the University of Iowa Art Museum exhibition in 1998.
Ganesh Seated on a Terrace by Damodar Lal Gurjar
Durga by Damodar Lal Gurjar
Lakshmi by Damodar Lal Gurjar
Damodar Lal Gurjar
Damodar Gurjar is known for his superb botanicals, but he has also done quite a few paintings with Vedic themes. He is more modern in his methods than the other artists. He prefers to use Windsor and Newton watercolors, rather than the natural pigments that are favored by other top artists.
Unlike most of the other artists, he did not come from a family of artists. His father was a farmer and hoped that Damodar would join the army, which was regarded as a safe career choice for those of his community. In spite of this, he began taking studio art classes in high school. After winning many school prizes for drawing and painting, he went on to study for two years at the state government art college in Jaipur. Since then, he went on to teach himself various other styles and techniques.
Unlike most of the other artists, he did not come from a family of artists. His father was a farmer and hoped that Damodar would join the army, which was regarded as a safe career choice for those of his community. In spite of this, he began taking studio art classes in high school. After winning many school prizes for drawing and painting, he went on to study for two years at the state government art college in Jaipur. Since then, he went on to teach himself various other styles and techniques.
Baby Krishna and Yashoda by Rammu
This painting was published as part of a popular calendar several years ago and the workmanship is very fine. Although I have met this artist personally, I don't have any more information about him.