The story of how Mithila art reached its position as one of the most pre-eminent folk arts of India is tied to two tragedies . Mithila painting is an art form practiced by women in the eastern India region bordering Nepal and was for several centuries, a private ritualistic art done on the walls of homes and certain objects. The first was an earthquake in 1934 - William Archer , the British administrator of the region was awe-struck by the beautiful paintings revealed by the damage caused to homes by the earthquake. He came upon walls filled with beautiful imagery and was inspired to document these with the help of his wife Mildred Archer. Both of them also highlighted the existence of this art form to a world that had no idea such art existed.
The next tragedy was a severe famine in the late 1960s which forever changed the course of Mithila art. For the first time in the history of this art form, the women were encouraged to create works for sale to generate income for the families no longer able to farm their lands. The All India Handicrafts Board provided the paper and paints and several women began transferring what had been a wall art located in a particular context to non-contextual artworks on paper. This transition also resulted in many men becoming artists in the tradition.
Mahasundari Devi was one of the first women to create Mithila painting on paper. She along with Ganga Devi, Sita Devi and a few others helped to create awareness about this painting tradition. She travelled extensively in India and abroad, demonstrating how Mithila art is made and took part in several regional, national and international art exhibitions. She also help nurture the talent of many younger artists including her grand-daughter Pushpa Kumari who is one of the internationally known Madhubani artists of today . The recipient of many national awards, Mahasundari Devi was a very humble and gentle soul and her delicate art works reflect her simplicity and creativity. She will be deeply missed by many including me as I had the privilege of meeting her and spending time with her. With her passing away, an era of Mithila painting has come to an end.
The next tragedy was a severe famine in the late 1960s which forever changed the course of Mithila art. For the first time in the history of this art form, the women were encouraged to create works for sale to generate income for the families no longer able to farm their lands. The All India Handicrafts Board provided the paper and paints and several women began transferring what had been a wall art located in a particular context to non-contextual artworks on paper. This transition also resulted in many men becoming artists in the tradition.
Mahasundari Devi was one of the first women to create Mithila painting on paper. She along with Ganga Devi, Sita Devi and a few others helped to create awareness about this painting tradition. She travelled extensively in India and abroad, demonstrating how Mithila art is made and took part in several regional, national and international art exhibitions. She also help nurture the talent of many younger artists including her grand-daughter Pushpa Kumari who is one of the internationally known Madhubani artists of today . The recipient of many national awards, Mahasundari Devi was a very humble and gentle soul and her delicate art works reflect her simplicity and creativity. She will be deeply missed by many including me as I had the privilege of meeting her and spending time with her. With her passing away, an era of Mithila painting has come to an end.
