Research Paper On Pattarina Paintings
Andia, Nicole
Jimenez
A.P World History, P.2
11/21/14
Research Writing on Pattachitra Art
Pattachitra is a well-known traditional cloth painting in India, mostly from Orissa and West Bengal. The paintings are done by artists who are known as chitrakaras. These paintings are also inspired by Jaggannath and the Vaishnava cult, and they represent stories of Hindu deities. Pattachitra use to be a form of art that was dying by the early 50s of the last century since the kings did not condescend the artists nor did the public buy the paintings anymore. However, this all changed when an American lady named Halina Zealy reinvigorated the art. As well, in the Sanskrit language the word Patta means cloth and Chitra means picture; so the word resembles the type of art. Overall, Pattachitra paintings have a compelling history, background, and it requires an extended amount of procedure.
The exact date of when Pattachitra paintings originated is unknown, however research states that it dates back to prehistoric times. “Pattachitra was an already existing art form before palm leaf illustrations made their appearance in the fifteenth century” (Sahu). The paintings have a slight resemblance with the old religious murals of Orissa from the Puri, Konark and Bhubaneshwar region. These murals date back to about 5th century BC. Both of these art forms are remarkably bright, colorful and they have great motives. Even if the exact date of origin may not be clear, one can still come to terms that Pattachitra paintings are ancient.
The background behind Pattachitra paintings are the Hindu mythological themes they have. It centers on the Jagannath and the Vaishnava cult. Since the beginning of Orissa culture, Lord Jagannath has been the major source of inspiration. “These themes revolve around this art form and mostly deal with stories from Mahabharata, Ramayana and legends concerning Radha and Krishna, Lord Jagannath and other popular legends. But the most popular is the depiction of
Jimenez
A.P World History, P.2
11/21/14
Research Writing on Pattachitra Art
Pattachitra is a well-known traditional cloth painting in India, mostly from Orissa and West Bengal. The paintings are done by artists who are known as chitrakaras. These paintings are also inspired by Jaggannath and the Vaishnava cult, and they represent stories of Hindu deities. Pattachitra use to be a form of art that was dying by the early 50s of the last century since the kings did not condescend the artists nor did the public buy the paintings anymore. However, this all changed when an American lady named Halina Zealy reinvigorated the art. As well, in the Sanskrit language the word Patta means cloth and Chitra means picture; so the word resembles the type of art. Overall, Pattachitra paintings have a compelling history, background, and it requires an extended amount of procedure.
The exact date of when Pattachitra paintings originated is unknown, however research states that it dates back to prehistoric times. “Pattachitra was an already existing art form before palm leaf illustrations made their appearance in the fifteenth century” (Sahu). The paintings have a slight resemblance with the old religious murals of Orissa from the Puri, Konark and Bhubaneshwar region. These murals date back to about 5th century BC. Both of these art forms are remarkably bright, colorful and they have great motives. Even if the exact date of origin may not be clear, one can still come to terms that Pattachitra paintings are ancient.
The background behind Pattachitra paintings are the Hindu mythological themes they have. It centers on the Jagannath and the Vaishnava cult. Since the beginning of Orissa culture, Lord Jagannath has been the major source of inspiration. “These themes revolve around this art form and mostly deal with stories from Mahabharata, Ramayana and legends concerning Radha and Krishna, Lord Jagannath and other popular legends. But the most popular is the depiction of
Cited: Kumar, Pankaj. "Pattachitra." Madhubani Paintings. Seven Boats, 30 Oct. 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://www.madhubanipaintings.net/pattachitra/>. "Pattachitra Paintings." , Traditional Painting of Odisha. Nri Online Pvt, 1997. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. <http://www.nriol.com/indian-paintings/pattachitra-paintings.asp>. "Pattachitra." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattachitra>. Sahu, Sri. "What Is Pattachitra." Patachitra. Seohunk International, 2010-11. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://www.rabindraart.com/>.