Bundi

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Scope note
Refers to a prolific school of Indian painting associated with the princely state of Bundi in southeastern Rajasthan, India. The other main center for Bundi school painting was in the neighboring principality of Kotah with which Bundi also had familial ties. Other idioms of the Bundi style such as Indargarh, Khatoli, Toda Rai Singh, Raghugarh, Uniara, and Kapren likewise developed out of the school that was originally supported solely by Bundi's rulers. Mughal influence was particularly strong in this Rajasthani school which lasted from the 17th to the end of the 19th century. Bundi painting also shows a likeness to painting of the Deccan in the south, a region with which the rulers of Bundi and Kotah were often in contact. Painting usually took the form of palace wall painting or miniature painting. Moving figures, rounded head forms, symmetrical, fan-shaped plantain trees, lush vegetation, dramatic night skies, and a distinctive way of depicting water (light-colored swirls on a dark background) are all hallmarks of the Bundi school. The painting produced under Rao Bhao Singh (reigned 1658-81) and Rao Anurad Singh (reigned 1681-95) was particularly distinctive, mature, and delicate; it also had a broader repertoire. Painting in Kotah saw important patrons in Rao Jagan Singh (reigned 1658-84), Maharao Umed Singh (reigned 1770-1819), Maharao Ram Singh (reigned 1827-66), and Maharao Shatru Sal (reigned 1866-89); particularly popular were lush paintings of hunting scenes involving the ruler, both in wall and miniature formats.
Bundi
Accepted term: 06-May-2024