Woman on an elephant

The women of the Mithila region of northeastern India for generations made paintings and drawings on the walls and floors of their homes for marriages and other festive occasions. In the mid-1960s, they were encouraged to begin painting and drawing on paper, so their works could be sold to bring them much-needed income. Since then, paintings and drawings in the Mithila tradition have been exhibited and collected around the world. The elephant shown here wears an elaborate blanket and is painted all over with flowers. The identity of the figure on the elephant is not known. As Mithila artists began to paint for viewers outside their communities, they broadened their range of subjects.