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The corners of our homes are adored by them while few are worshipped within the sanctum sanctorum of temples; they are diverse in nature and yet connected by the common thread of painting – spread across several states in India. The culture, heritage, and art forms in India is a reflection of the diverse nature spread across several states. It’s not only about the skill set that comes with every painting and the artists behind it but also the social, cultural, and religious sentiments which are attached to it that make it extra special – today, we’ll tell you about the 10 artforms that you must explore in India!

The story of Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh’s tumultuous relationship is as intense as a Shakespearean play and has the potential to become a blockbuster movie. Several biographers and journalists have reported the incident of Van Gogh’s self mutilation, but very few ponder upon the circumstances leading up to it. In Paul Gauguin’s Intimate Journals, we get a glimpse of their relationship replete with drama, love and action. 

The folklore of story-telling in traditional Indian art has had a long-drawn history and its continued presence through the years can be attributed to its relationship with arts, paintings, religion, and customs. One such engaging art of storytelling can be traced back to 19^th-century rural Bengal and the fascinating process of narrating epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana through pattachitras ‒ village to village, story to story. This tradition of storytelling in rural Bengal eventually led to the birth of an iconic painting style ‒ Kalighat paintings or Kalighat patachitra.

Classical Indian Art has an almost magical quality. It transports you to a bygone era and makes every scene come alive. Each canvas is more than just colourful brush strokes—it’s a lesson in history. These paintings teach us a lot about ancient customs, traditions, food, fashion, and so much more.

You may have come across paintings depicting Lord Krishna surrounded by bright motifs like cows, peacocks and lotuses. This art form is known as Pichwai and it originated in Rajasthan 400 years ago. Each piece takes painstaking efforts to be created and that’s probably why this art form began to fade away. However, there has been a renewed interest in Pichwai recently, with interior decorators gravitating towards it’s vivacity. 

Here are 6 things you may not know about this beautiful Indian art form:

Madhubani started off as a form of Bhitti Chitra (wall art) as people painted the walls of their houses to mark special occasions like festivals, marriages, etc. It is said to have originated in erstwhile Mithila, which included Bihar, Jharkhand and certain parts of Southern Nepal, including Janakpur, which is hailed as Raja Janak’s (Sita’s father) kingdom. 

Corrugated packaging material is recyclable, reusable and renewable. Since it is mostly made with paper obtained via cartons and newspapers, it can be recycled. The paper pulp with which it is made, comes from wood chips,  timber and pine trees. Hence, it is totally renewable. Its sturdy build enables it to carry a range of weights so it can be reused for a variety of purposes. Once you’re done, it can just be recycled!

The year is 1672. A deity representing Lord Krishna’s avatar as a 7-year-old is being transported from Mathura via Agra. Suddenly the bullock cart comes to an abrupt halt as the axle gets stuck in the mud. Devouts see it as a divine sign from Shrinathji (a local form of Lord Krishna) and decide to build a temple at that spot. 

The town is now called Nathdwara (the gateway to Shrinath), which is hailed as the birthplace of Pichwai art.

An artist sits hunched over a stiff canvas, holding a paintbrush. The creases on his forehead say that nothing can disturb his meditation right now. Splashes of black, yellow and gerua (orange) burst forth from the innermost recesses of his mind to recite an old tale—a tale of Lord Krishna and his enigmatic life. Many would have already heard this story, but the way he brings out the green of trees and the reddish smile dancing on a Gopi’s lips—it’s something very few storytellers would touch upon.

Dictator, draconian, eccentric, oppressive, mass murderer…
These are just a few words often associated with Adolf Hitler.
But have you imagined him as an artist? Probably not.

Hitler dedicated his early life to art and painted several oil and watercolour paintings to earn a living. However, his work was panned by art critics. So, how did a young artist turn into a dictator?