A Bani Thani Style Potrait
This portrait is painted in the typical style of the Kishangarh school of Indian
painting. Kishangarh is a small town in Rajasthan, approx. 60 miles
from Jaipur.
Painting's subject - Bani Thani, a singer and poet in Kishangarh during king Savant Singh’s reign, and has an interesting story behind her:
King Sawant Singh (1748-1764), the seventh ruler of Kishangarh, was an accomplished painter and a poet in his own right, and wrote verses under the pseudonym of Nagaridas. It so transpired that his stepmother employed a young girl as a singer in her palace. She came to the notice of Sawant Singh who fell in love with her and she subsequently became his mistress. Her real name is not known, but she came to be called Bani Thani, which means smart and well-dressed. She was a beautiful girl who also professed interest in Hindi poetry. It is believed that she provided inspiration to the Kishangarh artists, who are credited with the invention of the Kishangarh facial formula. In 1757, Satwant Singh abdicated and left with Bani Thani for Vrindavan.
Bani Thani here is portrayed with an elongated face, arched eyebrows, lotus-like eyes tinged with pink, a sharp nose and a pointed chin. Obviously, it is an
idealization, for no woman would have such eyes. It is based on the ideal type
given in the Sanskrit love poetry, viz. 'Padmakshi' or lotus-eyed. Those who
delight in parallels call her the Indian Mona Lisa. Her face is delicate and
refined, eyebrows curved like a bow. Her neck is decorated with necklaces of
pearls and precious stones. She has draped herself in a transparent
wrap.
This portrait is painted in the typical style of the Kishangarh school of Indian
painting. Kishangarh is a small town in Rajasthan, approx. 60 miles
from Jaipur.
Painting's subject - Bani Thani, a singer and poet in Kishangarh during king Savant Singh’s reign, and has an interesting story behind her:
King Sawant Singh (1748-1764), the seventh ruler of Kishangarh, was an accomplished painter and a poet in his own right, and wrote verses under the pseudonym of Nagaridas. It so transpired that his stepmother employed a young girl as a singer in her palace. She came to the notice of Sawant Singh who fell in love with her and she subsequently became his mistress. Her real name is not known, but she came to be called Bani Thani, which means smart and well-dressed. She was a beautiful girl who also professed interest in Hindi poetry. It is believed that she provided inspiration to the Kishangarh artists, who are credited with the invention of the Kishangarh facial formula. In 1757, Satwant Singh abdicated and left with Bani Thani for Vrindavan.
Bani Thani here is portrayed with an elongated face, arched eyebrows, lotus-like eyes tinged with pink, a sharp nose and a pointed chin. Obviously, it is an
idealization, for no woman would have such eyes. It is based on the ideal type
given in the Sanskrit love poetry, viz. 'Padmakshi' or lotus-eyed. Those who
delight in parallels call her the Indian Mona Lisa. Her face is delicate and
refined, eyebrows curved like a bow. Her neck is decorated with necklaces of
pearls and precious stones. She has draped herself in a transparent
wrap.