Rajput painting, a particular style of Indian painting, evolved and flourished in the royal courts of Rajputana, India. Each kingdom evolved a distinct style, but with certain common features such as events of epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Krishna's life, and beautiful landscapes. Miniatures were the preferred medium of Rajput painting. Several manuscripts also contain Rajput style paintings. Paintings were even done on the walls of palaces, inner chambers of the forts, havelis, particularly, the havelis of Shekhawati, a region in Rajasthan.
The patronage of art in Mewar goes back centuries. Mewar is notable for the fact that it resisted the domination of the Mughals for a considerable period and thus developed a very conservative style of its own. The beauty of Mewar painting lies in the colours they used. Though some of the works of art are almost 300 years old they have not lost their radiance. The ingredients used for making colour were from different coloured clay and stones of unlike hues which were broken and powdered vegetable and mineral dyes, sesame oil, zinc, plants, roots, tree bark, shell powder, gold and silver for example. Artists used different pots and pans made of diverse metal, iron or clay to prepare individual colours. The paintbrushes were made of goat, camel and squirrel hair. Previously palm tree bark was used. Later, paper was made of bamboo and hemp pulp. As early as 1700 A.D. paper the size 3' by 5' was available in Mewar for the painters to paint on.
Rana Kumbha was one of the greatest Mewar patrons of the arts (1433-1468), which continued through the reign of Rana Raimal (1473 -1509). During the same time in the West, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were emerging in Europe as two of the greatest artists the world would ever know. Rana Pratap 1, (1572 -1597) established his capital at Chawand and he commissioned a series of “Rag Mala” paintings (translated literally as musical notes) a series painted on the Indian Ragas. These are housed today in the Govt. Museum in Udaipur. Chawand Ragamala is one of the earliest examples from the Mewar School. The flatness, bright colours, and several common motifs showed marked resemblance with the Chaurapanchasika style. Few notable painters of Mewar School were Nasrual Din and Sahibdin. Sahibdin dominated the Mewar School from 1620-1650. His body of work includes Ragamala, Gita Govinda, Rasikpriya, and Bhagavata Purana.

Maharana Bhupal Singhji riding in procession at his birthday celebrations

In the mid 17th century another important artist Manohar was noted for his illustrated Ramayana. In Europe, Rubens and Van Dyke were holding the stage and were later joined by Vermeer and Rembrandt. During the same time, the Taj Mahal was being constructed. It took over 22 years and spanned 1631-1635. The end of the 17th century and the early 18th century saw a revival of the Mewar style. Artists from the Mewar School were creating small and intensely coloured illustrations of mythological texts depicting the Gods. Several high quality works of art were produced which depicted court scenes, religious subjects, and portraitures. Concurrently, in the West, Boucher Watteau and later Fragonard, Gamsborough and Stubbs were at their finest.
It is only as we move into the 18th century that artists from the Mewar School of painting started to paint pictures of the life of the Ranas depicting hunting scenes, panoramic views of Court life, royal processions and festivals. They started using opaque water coloured paint (gouache) with gold or silver additives. For the first time, paintings were a record or documentation of life at the Court, of festivals, or hunting. In the West Gainsborough, Reynolds and Goya held the stage. It was during the reign of Maharana Bhim Singhji 1778 to 1828 that Col. James Tod was appointed political agent by the East India Company and actually resided in Udaipur. The Maharana gifted several paintings to Tod, which are now in London. At the same time in England, Constable was painting the great landscapes of the Suffolk countryside. In the late 19th Century “ Pitchwai” paintings were popular in Mewar This is a form of painting on cloth that depicted Lord Krishna at the Nathdwara Temple. They originated from Nathdwara and were literally a painted back drop that hung behind the Deity. During the period of Maharana Fateh Singhji's rule, (1884-1930) Raja Ravi Verma visited Udaipur and was commissioned to paint portraits of Rana Pratap and Rana Amar Singh 1. When Raja Ravi Verma was painting these portraits, Europe witnessed the early Picasso period.
In 1991, at the base of the City Palace complex, near Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel, a school of traditional Mewar miniature painting was established. The aim of the school is to keep alive the distinct Mewar style by giving useful employment to local artists, who continue to paint on silk, marble, paper and wood. The school is called "Rajasthan Art School" and is run by Thakur Jitendra Singh Rathore of Ralawata. Mewar Painting continues under royal patronage as a Court Art.