Seu (),
also known as Pandit Seu, was a
Pahari artist who specialized in ''musawir''.
[Goswamy, B. N. "On Two Portraits of Pahari Artists." ''Artibus Asiae'', vol. 34, no. 2/3, 1972, pp. 225–31. ''JSTOR'', https://doi.org/10.2307/3249649. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.] He was attached to the court of Raja Dilip Singh of
Guler State
Guler was a minor kingdom in the Lower Himalayas. Its capital was the town of Haripur Guler, in modern-day Himachal Pradesh. The kingdom was founded in 1415 by Raja Hari Chand, a scion of the ancient royal family of Kangra. The etymology of t ...
(reigned ca.1695–1741).
Biography
Seu was the son of Hasnu, grandson of Bharathu, and great-grandson of Data.
Seu was a native of Guler.
Seu must have left the hills and travelled to the plains, where he came into contact with Mughal artists of the late-Mughal style.
Seu was alive when
Aurangzeb
Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...
was disassembling the Mughal ateliers, which led to these artists to leave Delhi for other states, such as Guler.
Seu would establish an atelier (workshop) in Guler, which for 150 years produced talented artists.
Familial atelier
He was the patriarch of the Seu-Manaku-Nainsukh family, which would produced famous artists such as
Manaku,
Nainsukh
Nainsukh (; 1710 – 1778) was an Indian painter. He was the younger son of the painter Pandit Seu and, like his older brother Manaku of Guler, was an important practitioner of Pahari painting, and has been called "one of the most origin ...
, Fattu, Khushala, Kama, Ranjha, Gursahai, Sukhdayal, Deviditta, Gaudhu, Nikka, Saudagar, Attra, and Ramdayal.
His two sons, Manaku and Nainsukh, became successful artists in their own right.
Seu served as the mentor to his elder son, Manaku, with both his sons being educated at his workshop.
His son, Manaku, would later finish a ''
Ramayana
The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
'' series that Seu had left unfinished.
Style
Seu belonged to the phase of Pahari painting that began in 1730 onwards that was characterized by a move toward a naturalistic style and innovations, perhaps due to
Mughal influence.
This Mughal influence may be attributed to the weakening of Mughal state power in the early 18th century, which led the artists previously working under the Mughals to seek patronage elsewhere, such as in the
Hill States.
When compared to the works of his son Nainsukh, Seu more hesitantly incorporated elements from the late-Mughal-style.
Seu's work is characterized by distinct outlines and an affinity for strong background colors, which is characteristic of earlier styles.
Gallery
File:'Fight of Drunken Monkeys and Bears', by Seu, ca.1720.jpg, 'Fight of Drunken Monkeys and Bears', by Seu, ca.1720
File:'Dancing Villagers', attributed to Seu of Guler, ca.1730.jpg, 'Dancing Villagers', attributed to Seu of Guler, ca.1730
File:Rama and Sita Enthroned (6124522461).jpg, Rama
Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
and Sita
Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...
Enthroned, ca.1730
File:Hanuman springt über den Ozean c1720.jpg, Hanuman
Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...
crosses the ocean and kills Sursa, ca.1720
File:Hanuman, sugriva and jambvan.jpg, Hanuman, Angada, and Jambavan climb Mount Mahendra, ca.1720
File:Painting of Mian Gopal Singh playing chess with Pandit Dinamani Raina. Ascribed to Pandit Seu of Guler. Dated ca.1720–1725.jpg, Painting of Mian Gopal Singh playing chess with Pandit Dinamani Raina. Ascribed to Pandit Seu of Guler. Dated ca.1720–1725
Notes
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References
1740 deaths
Indian painters
People from Kangra district