Miniature paintings on transparent sheets of mica were popular in India in the 19th Century as they were sold to British tourists as souvenirs. However, over time, the practice of painting on sheets of the extremely delicate sheet of the mineral went out of vogue and they are now rare as many of them have been destroyed because of their fragile nature.
Over several decades, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has been collecting these paintings for her personal collection and is now selling them so that funds can be raised for her People For Animals organisation’s hospitals.
Hopes for better exhibit
Ms. Gandhi says, “The mica paintings imitate the style used for painting on glass and are painted from behind with opaque pigments. They were very popular around the middle of the 19th Century, but a few have survived. They represent an important period in the Indian art and it is estimated that there are less than 7,000 left in the world, many of which have disappeared into the hands of major collectors.”
She hopes that her collection of paintings are bought by a patron of the arts that will care for them, display them prominently as well as contribute to a cause.
Most of the paintings are of Hindu gods and goddesses, or of men and women depicted according to caste, occupation, and participating in religious events. There are some unique paintings that depict the flora and fauna of the sub-continent as well.
A few artwork left
Mica which is a transparent mineral found throughout south India and Bihar that can be split into thin sheets making it a good medium to paint on but, being a brittle substance, very few artworks are available in perfect condition.
These mica paintings can be seen and purchased at 14, Ashoka Road.
