Image source: Google
Bani Thani is popularly known as Indian Mona Lisa as court painter of Kishangarh Nihal Chand drew her portrait, which marks the beginning of the Kishangarh School of Painting.
Bani Thani was subject to Nihal Chand's painting. The portrait of her defined the features of Kishangarh school of Art. The eyes of the portrait were the main attraction of the painting, large curvaceous eyes with arched eyebrows became the signature style. It is said that Sawant Singh was captivated by eyes of Bani Thani and had asked Nihal Chand to draw them. Another theory for such eyes was that they were inspired by the eye of Srinathji; a cult of God Krishna.
The Bani Thani painting had features like elongated nose, beautiful lavish jewelry, traditionally dressed, crowned head. This painting was inspired by the sringar rasa nayika.
From 1765 to 1780, Chand made several paintings that became globally renowned, placing Kishangarh on the world's art map. Themes included elephants, hunting wild animals, court scenes, portraits of rulers, dance forms – and all of these were often placed in panoramic landscapes that became his signature.
