Nepali Painting : A Critical Analysis

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About the Author Dr. Yam Prasad Sharma teaches English, Art History and Aesthetics at Lalit Kala Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. He earned his Ph.D. in English from Tribhuvan University. Contemporary Nepali art is his area of specialization in research. He also taught Art History, Art Theory and Aesthetics at Kathmandu University, School of Arts, and Center for Art and Design. He has been critiquing the artworks of contemporary Nepali artists.

Foreword We are grateful to Dr. Yam Prasad Sharma, for he seriously conducted research, documented the information and analyzed Nepali paintings critically in this book. The book is significant in a number of ways as a) it captures the major trends of Nepali paintings from Prajnaparmita to the artworks of present time, b) the book not only records the historical information but also interprets and analyzes the artworks, c) it takes representative paintings and critiques them individually in the manner a poem or a story is critiqued; this is the novel practice in the domain of art criticism in Nepal, and d) the book is also the model of systematic research and documentation in the field of Nepali painting. The paintings of the artists have been discussed extensively rather Rhone 'their biography and personal information. The study presents the overview of Nepali paintings including traditional paintings, realistic polntings created during the Rana period, modern paintings and postmodern ones. The writer also has thrown light on the themes, techniques and forms of the contemporary western paintings and contemporary Indian paintings as they have influenced the contemporary Nepali paintings. Not only the pictures of the paintings in the book but also his writing provides aesthetic pleasure to the readers. I believe that this book will be useful to fine art students, teachers, artists, art historians, art lovers and particularly to the art critics. It is the matter of pride for Department of Painting, Nepal Academy of Fine Arts to have the opportunity to publish this book.

Introduction As we go to the early period, we find Nepali arts are mystical, magical, didactic, anthropomorphic, narrative and symbolic. They go beyond the realistic representation. Since they are religious, they deal with magical and mystical subject matters. As artists believe in divinities, divine power and supernatural forces, they depict strange and unbelievable images and events. Rather than making aware of their surrounding, they go beyond the real world that is intangible. They are didactic in the sense that they teach moral lessons to the viewers. They depict what should be done by the human beings rather than what is happening in the external world. To teach religious and spiritual aspects is one of the objectives of early Nepali arts. By doing so, they want to create order and stability in the then contemporary society.

Anthropomorphism is another characteristic of early Nepali arts. Despite the fact that they represent gods and goddesses, they are represented in human fomi. Likewise, even plants, animals and other non-living things are personified as human being. They act, speak and behave as the humans. Even temples are constructed on the basis of human anatomy.

Human images are presented with full of vitality and youth in early Nepal paintings and sculptures. Old age has been banished from the art world. Even the person in death bed seems youthful.

Despite .v= fact that early Nepali arts provide aesthetic pleasure, they were not created for this purpose. The focus is enlightenment, nirvana, spirituality and the didacticism. They are transcendental in the sense that they attempt to take you to another world of mysticism.

The art forms like painting, sculpture and architecture existed from early period of Nepali art. The arts have been interconnected with religious and cultural rituals. In other words, art is an integrated part of culture. Even the daily rituals and other ceremonies include various forms of arts. As it is the ~ tradition to worship divinities, the images of gods and goddesses are created in painting and sculpture form. And colors and flowers are offered to the images of deities. As the colors are offered, other images are created as in the painting. Along with painting and sculpture, music, performance and verbal arts are practiced. They recite religious scriptures and mantras while worshipping the' images of divinities. Such practices can be seen in naming ceremony, bratabandha, wedding, funeral ceremony, Deepawali (festival of light) and other religion-cultural rituals. Thus, the cultural life and art go together hand in hand. The art is for the spiritual enhancement of life and .the world.

Early Nepali painting has a series of developmental phases. The earliest Nepali painting ever found is in the form of manuscript illumination of eleventh century. Though the paintings do not exist now, the tradition of painting is earlier. As we have already said, it is as old as Nepali culture. Religious manuscripts were handwritten and illuminated with paintings. Paintings can be found in both Hindu and Buddhist manuscripts. Prajnaparmita and Dharanisamgraha are Buddhist manuscripts whereas Visnudharma, Shivadharma and Devimahatmya are Hindu manuscripts. The manuscripts have inter-art relationship in the sense that both verbal and visual arts exist in the same work.

Another form of early Nepali art is paubha, which is created on rectangular piece of clothe with the principal divinity at the centre. Some paubhas have the structure of mandala. A mandala is the tightly structured geometrical form made up of circles, rectangles, squires and triangles. It represents human consciousness. Sometimes, it is used as a yantra for meditation and concentric on. The tightly structured geometrical forms lead the viewers toward the centre where individual self coincides with the divine being. Some poubhos depict male and female deities in sexual union. This shows the reconcilotlon of sacred and profane elements.

Next Nepali art form is pata chitra (narrative scroll painting) which tells the religious stories from mythologies. The medium and material of narrative scroll is like that of paubha but they are horizontal and longer as they tell the mystical stories.

The paintings are found on the walls of temples and palaces as well. The subject matters of wall paintings are like that of manuscript illuminations, paubha and narrative scroll.

Early Nepali paintings use two dimensional colors. There is the absence of shadow as it is considered the divinities do not exist in darkness. As there is frequent use of symbols, their significance goes beyond what they present. The presentation of Hindu and Buddhist icons and subject matters in the same ~ work suggests the religious harmony in the then society.

During the eighteen century, secular elements enter into the domain of Nepali art. Along with the religious paintings, portraits and landscapes were created. There is the significant shift from magical divine world to the real world. Portraits of Kings and aristocrats were executed. However the style was not still realistic.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages