PATNA SCHOOL OR COMPANY SCHOOL OF PAINTING
After the downfall of Mugal’s emperor artist tried to settle themselves I different parts of the country some artist took refugee under the Nawab of Murshidabad as the conditions were better there. Paintings were on for three years but the cause of the quarrels of East India Company and the Nawabs and the attacks of Afgane and Maratha the painters settled at Patna during 1750-1776.
Paintings went on in Patna for two Centuries 18th-20th. It was a big business centre and the main commercial centre of British. That’s why the Britishers got mainly painting done by these artists and sent them to England depicting the social life, birds and animals. Two main artist of the school Lal Chand and his nephew Gopal Chand deciple of artist Dallu Lal of varansi lived with Maharaj Eshwari Narayan Singh of varanasi painted hundred of paintings from 1835 to 1888.
This School started at the inspiration of the Britishers as they taught new technique of water color to these artists and got the paintings done in the same style. But as these artists were of Mugal school. We find a mixture of Mugal and western art in Patna School which were of middle standard. Color and shading was of Europeon style and were considered of lower standard by the Britishers by their false propagainda. Artist started learning their wash technique of water color. The artist who copied Britishers art was rewarded accordingly. This way the Patna School got started. The artist who properly copied the Britisher’s style was given the title of Company’s painter and was encouraged.
According to Raja Rajeshwar Prasad Singh, Patna school was born in 19th century. The paintings,that the King and rich people of Patna got painted by the artist in there shelter were actually the work of Patna school. It does not look proper to call those paintings were done under the Britishers as belonging to Patna school.
The name of Sewak Ram is important among the painters of that age along with Shiv Lal, Hulas Lal, Thumak Lal, Fakir Chand Lal and Jai Ram Das (1830-50).
Shri Ram Krishan Das is of the opinion that the name, Patna School is in appropriate as the painting were popular in the whole country mainly in Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra, west and the Nepal, Britishers called it Patna School simple because some prominent artists were of Patna. The main center of the company school were Patna, Lahore, Delhi, Lucknows. Varanasi, Murshidabad, Nepal, Pune and Tanjore.
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