Historical paintings of Srirangapatna a stylistic study Veena Shekar!

Examined here are the 18th-century paintings of Srirangapatna – against the holistic backdrop of its socio-cultural scenario. Located in the Mandya District of Karnataka, south India, Srirangapatna was the historic capital of Tipu Sultan (1750-1799 AD). Both he and his father, Hyder Ali are notable in Indian history for their resolute resistance against the rising power of the British in India. Srirangapatna today is renowned for the seemingly impregnable fort of Tipu Sultan. And is about 15 km from Mysore.

The 18th-century murals of Srirangapatna belong to a stream of art that began in India in the late medieval period. In a sense, they also represent the last stages of India’s 2000-year-long, glorious tradition of mural paintings – a tradition recognized among the finest the world has seen. A marked departure from the long-established tradition, Srirangapatna’s paintings present the glorified triumphs and achievements of the rulers, individual personalities, and the happening in the world around us. The introduction of Western concepts, new trends, and new tools in the Indian art perhaps explain the rationale for its divergence from the tradition. The book explores the European influences on Srirangapatna paintings, in terms of their thematic content and stylistic features.

Beginning with the evolution of historical paintings in India, the book comes to explore this genre of painting in the 18th-century Karnataka – which was then the scene of several battles for supremacy and power. This, resultantly, brought about a change in the thematic content in the art of painting in Karnataka and also Srirangapatna. The book examines, in meticulous details, the paintings of Daria Daulat Bagh: Tipu Sultan’s summer palace in Srirangapatna, together with its location, architecture and the significance of paintings. The book is abundantly illustrated.

Dr Veena Shekar: an art historian, consultant and curator of art shows, was a full-time guest faculty at the Department of Visual Arts, Bangalore. Currently, she is Director, Sameeksha Art Research and Media, Bangalore.