The charming white cows of India are a favourite subject for the artists of Rajasthan.![]()
There are several different schools of miniature painting in Rajasthan, they all tend to favour their own subject material and colour palette. This painting, using strong colours typical of the Udaipur school, depicts three white Indian cows standing close together and facing the same direction. Their horns are decorated in red and green, while silver and gold sashes adorn their bodies. Handprint motifs are painted across their white coats, adding to their decorative appearance. Set against a dark green cloth background, the cows also feature red and yellow squiggly patterns around their eyes and across the tops of their heads.
Travel almost anywhere in Rajasthan and sooner or later you'll come across cows wandering the roads. Whether it's a quiet village lane or a busy highway, they seem completely at ease among cars, tuk tuks and lorries. Somehow the traffic flows around them, although it's often hard to believe there won't be a collision.
On our journey through Rajasthan in March, we were once again driven by Raj, a farmer who'll leave his small farm with his wife, daughter and mother for a couple of weeks to come and drive for us. He's become a good friend over the years and shares fascinating insights into rural life, farming, and his much-loved water buffaloes. His appreciation for India's cows gave us a new perspective and these paintings remind us of our time with him.
This white Indian cow with decorated horns, gold sashes, and a peacock feather turns to watch her calf as it suckles. The cow is decorated with vermilion handprints, while the calf is marked with coloured patches. As the calf feeds, the cow is shown licking its hindquarters, emphasizing the close relationship between the two animals. The figures are painted against a dark green cloth background, which provides a simple setting for the richly decorated cow and calf.
The calf has a firm grip on the cow's teat and the painting has both an an intimate and a humorous feel to it.
One of the highlights of this trip came at the end when we went to Raj's home in Haryana on our way back to Delhi. We met his mother, wife and daughter - and his water buffalos! Raj must be nearly 60 and his mother in her mid eighties; they look alike and she clearly loves him dearly. Life for her has always been around the village while Raj has driven lorries all over India - he's seen a life she would hardly recognise. We lounged on the charpoys and were given generous food. They ask for very little from the world; I hope life continues to treat them kindly.
You can see these and other Indian miniature paintings including cows in our Paintings Collection.