
The simplest among these are done on wall, and though folk in style, they
neverthless have some of the flavour of frescoes one sees in the old
palaces. The tradition on painting the wall of houses with scenes from
mythological and chivalric tales has been prevalent in Rajasthan for the
past many centuries.
Pichvais: Noted among paintings
are those made on cloth, known as pichavais, and intended as backdrops for
the statue of the temple deity. Originally, these were made for different
seasons and festivals for use at worship but later they came to be sold to
pilgrims. In this thin layer of starch is applied on the cloth and painting
is done in tempera.
Phad: Special mention must be made of
cloth scroll paintings rendered in folk style known as phads, depicting the
lives of local heroes. They tell mostly the story of Pabuji Ramdevji and Dev
Narainji whose exploits ar sung by minstrels (bhopas) around the villages.
The use of vibrant, raw colors and bold lines and a two dimensional
treatment of figures with the entire composition arranged in sections are
some of the unique features of these paintings.