The works of Umashankar infuse life into a fading art
THEY ARE miniature in style but magnificent in appeal. Umashankar's paintings seem to infuse life into a fading art.
A revivalist of sorts, the self-taught artist besotted with the `Bani
Thani' tale took to the miniature mode of expression. A Gujjar girl with
a beautiful voice, Bani stole the heart of the prince of Kishangarh,
who defied royal conventions to marry her. Naturally enough women with
old world beauty — in traditional outfits and abundant jewellery occupy
most of Umashankar's conventional canvases. And so does shringara rasa.
Miniature art flourished between the 16th and 18th Century under the
patronage of Moghul emperors Akbar, Jehangir and Shahjahan. But with the
advent of Aurangzeb's reign, many gave up the art or took refuge in
Rajput kingdoms. The kings of Kishangarh particularly took keen interest
in preserving the miniature marvels for posterity.
Umashankar began his artistic journey by restoring the old and worn out
works. And today, he is among the foremost artists of this specialised
style. Krishna legends, folk life of Rajasthan, Moghul and Rajput royal
splendour and Indian brides — Umashankar seems to revel in the richness
of the past. At the same time, he uses his modern mindset to tap
techniques to achieve a long-lasting impression. For instance, by using
real gold and silver pieces, the jewellery worn by the women on the
canvases appear close-to-real. But some of the female forms lack deft
delieneation.
In his series based on "Madhushala", a collection of highly acclaimed
poems by Harivanshrai Bachchan, each canvas combines wordy and visual
appeal in a rare jugalbandi.
Pigments ground from precious stones, vegetable colours, hand made
paper, old court stamp papers, squirrel brushes and ornate frames lend
Umashankar's canvases an authentic touch.
