Guler paintings are famous in which state?

Guler painting is an important school of Pahari (hill) painting. It developed in the small hill state of Guler, in the Kangra valley of present-day Himachal Pradesh, in the first half of the 18th century.

Origin and artists:

The Guler school was founded by artists of the family of Pandit Seu, who migrated to the hills. His sons, Manaku and Nainsukh, were among the greatest Pahari painters.

Nainsukh worked mostly for Raja Balwant Singh of Jasrota, and his paintings show court life with great realism.

Guler artists were influenced by the Mughal style, after some painters moved to the hills from Delhi following the decline of the Mughal court.

Features of Guler painting:

• Delicate and fine lines, soft and cool colours, and natural landscapes.
• Graceful and refined female figures.
• Themes from Hindu mythology, especially the love of Radha and Krishna, the Bhagavata Purana, the Gita Govinda, and portraits of rulers.

The Guler style is regarded as the forerunner of the famous Kangra style. When Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra (1775-1823) became a great patron of art, many artists from Guler moved to his court, and the Kangra style reached its peak. Because of this close link, the two styles are often grouped as the "Guler-Kangra" style.

Other schools of Pahari painting include Basohli (bold colours, from Jammu), Chamba, Mandi, Kullu and Garhwal.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Rajasthan is known for Rajput schools such as Mewar, Kishangarh (Bani Thani) and Bundi.
• ✗Uttar Pradesh is known for Mughal-influenced and Awadh styles.
• ✗Gujarat is known for Western Indian (Jain) manuscript paintings.