PATNA KALAM: BPSC MAINS SPECIAL

PATNA KALAM: FOLK ART OF BIHAR.

• The  way of executing a work of art or customs of expression, depiction of characteristic feature of distinguished people based on some geographical condition called "KALAM" or style. regional language also influences the kalam or style.
• Mughal ruler in india has influenced the social, cultural , political and economic life of indian people, but the area was mostly influenced was art and architecture. As for as painting is concerned, Jahangir's period was the golden period of  mughal painting, combining the persian style with indian traditional style, they introduced a new way of painting.
• many indian school of painting were flourished afterwards and they were heavly influenced by mughal paintings. Patna kalam was an offshoot of the mughal painting flourished during 18th to mid 20th centuary the principal centre were Patna, Danapur, Arrah. Patna kalam was world's 1st independent school of painting which dealt exclusively with the commoner and his life style also helped Patna kalam painting to gain in popularity.
• after down fall of the mughal empire, artist migrated towards Murshidabad because at this time it was profitable business hub and attracted the painters, and after that due to down fall of Murshidabad painters moved towards Patna(1970) which was an other profitable option.
• The glimpse of the european colony in the advent of 17th century proves that there was no favourable condition to settle but 18th century Patna established itself as the centre of the new administration.
• Even though european abstained from indian society but admire indian art, indian landscape and indian culture.
• patna kalam became an essential and profitable part of patna artistry and existed till 1830. these artists used to paint "sets of caste occupation" called "Firka", the contents of firka were based on common every day life ,like- washerman, butler returning from market, tailor, sweeper and slave struggling with dog, carpenter, bangle seller, hawker etc. they also depicted rural and urban life style in their paintings.
• patna painters may have been consciously adapting their style to that of a european who greatly respected for his versatility and competence. patna painters were exploring the european market and trying to adopt their style to european fashion. miniarture portraits on paper, vellum, bone, ivory were the fashion with upper and middle classes.
• In the history of patna kalam, the 1st artist who became popular was Ram sewak Ram(1770-1830), other painters were Hulaslal(1785-1875), shivlal, nisar mendi and last painter of patna kalam was Ishwari Prasad Verma.
• nisar mendi was popular for portraits and landscapes  used his naturalistic figures as the material  for organic rythm.
• all those paintings based on indian life, on the demand of european people, the way they used to paint his picture is known as "KAJLI SYAHI" - the picture directly painted by brush without using pencils to delineate the contours of the picture. shivlal was widely for his painting "Muslim wedding scene" . his miniarture portraits are marked by a delicate realism, a minute fidelity which borders on the photographic.
• the main characteristic style are the brilliance and definition of colour combination, the area of colour are bounded by vigorous line which springs the move across the picture and other development was shading in solid form. patna kalam also give a sense of diginity of labour, its mechanical senerity. the influence of the two different style produce one unique style in the form of patna kalam incorporating great aesthetic beauty and exubarent consciousness.
• patna kalam painting were based on the excessive imaginative subjects matters like landscape, background etc. were being expensive hence vanished in patna kalam , during their downfall it give new dimension to indian art i.e. freelance painting, even today patna kalam holds respectable position in world.

Feature: 1. miniature painting, light in colour , life like representation, development in shading in solidform, kajli shyahi technique, fusion of native and foreign elements, pointed nose, lean and gount face, heavy eyebrows, big moustaches, deepset starting eyes.
2. Art of finishing touch is marvellous - example flying birds painting.
3. lack of landscape, foreground and background because it increases the cost of the paiting.