MADHUBANI PAINTING BY PRATIMA BHARTI

Nestled on the India-Nepal border is the small region of Mithila with a rich and vibrant folk history. The women sit with papers stretched out and their paint bottles opened- filled with natural colours made from flowers, fruits and roots, a handmade paintbrush just about to put the first brushstroke on the surface. Mithila paintings are an expression of a woman’s joys, sorrows, her stories, beliefs, songs and routine, all encompassed in a canvas with splendid colors, motifs and symbolisms. Also known as Madhubani paintings, the art form gets its name from the village of Madhubani (‘the forest of honey’ Madhu meaning Honey and Bani as the forest) in Bihar where the tradition of decorating walls and floors of homes and important locations in the village were a norm since ancient times. Said to be the capital city of the Kingdom of Janakpur in the epic Ramayana, King Janaka ordered his kingdom to decorate the town of Mithila for the wedding of his daughter, Sita, to Lord Rama. Resplendent with rich imagery of wedding scenes, nature inspired motifs like fish, peacocks, and the tree of life as symbols of prosperity, fertility, and good luck for the couple, the art form depicts the cultural mosaic of India and the intimate relationship between humans and nature. Madhubani paintings are also a significant symbol of women’s empowerment and societal equality in modern India! Mithila painting, as a domestic ritual activity, was unknown to the outside world until the massive earthquake on India-Nepal border in 1934 when the houses and walls tumbled down and the paintings were discovered and published to the world. The global appreciation of the art form prepared the stage for its rise to the popularity it enjoys today. In the 1960s the region saw a dreadful drought when women of the village from across castes were encouraged to transfer their paintings onto paper and sell them to earn additional income.

Mithila Paintings are symbolic of India’s ancient mythology, rich culture and the spirit of life itself, which brings new hopes in even the most torrid times.

Pratima Bharti, our Madhubani artist has evolved a very distinctive style of Madhubani art where modern lines and geometric figures meet the traditional patterns of Madhubani art. She is the recipient of the state award for art.

DETAILS

• Size: 22 by 30 inches
• Price is for unframed painting and painting would be sent without a frame.
• Handpainted in Madhubani art style on handmade paper.
• Painted with natural colours made by the artist
• The image shown here is representative to help visualize the painting in a home setting and not an actual framed image.
  
• COD cannot be accepted as a payment option for paintings
• This painting will be made to order and will take 3-4 weeks
• Certificate of Authentication will be provided
• Please write to us at yosha.gupta@memeraki.com for any customisation in size or ping us on the website chat

Each of our artworks are hand painted by master artists across India. We provide an authentication certificate with this artwork signed by the artist.

The sizes mentioned are excluding the borders of the artwork.

Frames shown are for visual representation only and are not included with the artwork. We offer framing services on demand at additional costs. If you wish to get your artwork framed, please reach out to us on WhatsApp or email.

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For all artworks expect Lippan and Terracotta, No additional charges are applicable for domestic deliveries. For International Orders shipping charges of ₹2500 INR are applicable.

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All artworks are packed and couriered securely in a tube.

Ready To Ship/ In Stock artworks are shipped in under 2 weeks. We only accept return requests for Ready to Ship/ In stock artworks placed within a week from date of delivery.

Made To Order artworks will take 2-3 weeks to be made and shipped once they are ready. Returns are not applicable on Made To Order artworks.

All artworks on the website are hand painted from scratch by our master artists. That makes every artwork absolutely unique and the actual colour and overall artwork may vary slightly from the artwork image posted here.