Untitled (Two women), 1970s
Natural pigment on paper
71.12 × 55.88 cm
Unsigned, accompanied by a certificate
Unique Work
Includes Certificate of Authenticity
Inclusive of all taxes
The presence of women is quite dominating in Mithila paintings. It refers to the tribal and folk stories, oral traditions and culture. This particular artwork depicts two women in an amicable, playful demeanor, suggesting a bond deeper than friends, while sharing a flower between them with motifs of flora and fauna present in their attire too. Mithila paintings are heavy with details through the ornate intricacies while also maintaining a specific rhythm to the artworks.
Mithila painting, originating in the culturally rich region spanning northern Bihar and
southern Nepal, emerged from a deeply rooted tradition of ritual wall art. Created primarily by women, these paintings marked weddings, festivals, harvests, and sacred occasions, serving not merely as decoration but as expressions of devotion, fertility, and communal identity. In a region renowned for its oral storytelling—where epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata were memorized and recited—these narratives found vivid visual form through intricate linework, symbolic motifs, and stylized figures adorned with ornate details. Although the tradition flourished for centuries, it gained outside attention only after the 1930s Bihar earthquake, when British officer William Archer documented the murals. Yet commercial recognition came much later, during the famine of the 1960s, when cultural advocates such as Pupul Jaykar and Bhaskar Kulkarni encouraged artists to transfer their work from walls to paper, transforming it into a sustainable livelihood. Figures such as Sita Devi, Mahasundari Devi, Baua Devi, and Jagdamba Devi have become synonymous with the art form, as have Nityanand Jha and Bipin Kumar Das among the male artists. Today, Mithila painting remains a vibrant, evolving tradition—where memory, ritual, and artistic expression continue to intertwine.
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I was thirteen when Bhaskar Kulkarni came...He asked, ‘What do you paint? Make one for me.’ I painted three pieces. ‘I want to take them, how much paisa do you want?’ ‘We don’t want money, we paint it for our entertainment.’ He said ‘No...no, some money will have to be taken.’ ‘You paint very well, and your mind is sharp, keep painting.'
Padma Shree Baua Devi, in conversation with Folkartpedia
Inclusive of all taxes
Inclusive of all taxes
Inclusive of all taxes
Inclusive of all taxes