Shekhawati Painting
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India is a land of so many diverse cultures that its art forms seem to be countless in number. This article, for example, is dedicated to Shekhawati paintings - a form of mural painting that adorned the walls of many buildings in Shekhawati, a semi-desert region in north Rajasthan situated entirely in the triangle between Delhi-Bikaner-Jaipur. These paintings were characterised by pictures drawn and colored piecemeal on the dry plaster surface of walls. Subjects ranged from religious and mythological themes to everyday environments and erotica. The paintings of Shekhawati have been an important part of Rajasthan’s - and by extension India’s - cultural heritage. History of the Art The first Shekhawati paintings can be traced as far back as the 17th century. The local styles were influenced by the then-Mughal work in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. The earliest works even included the "Jaipur fresco" work, wherein thick pigments were applied and worked onto a wet plaster surface. The...