| Seu | |
| Style: | Pahari (specifically Guler) |
| Honorific Prefix: | Pandit |
| Signature: | Signature of the artist Seu of Guler State, from the back of a painting of Raja Dalip Singh of Guler State performing puja, ca.1740.png |
| Patrons: | Raja Dalip Singh of Guler State |
Seu (ca.1680–1740[1] [2]), also known as Pandit Seu, was a Pahari artist who specialized in musawir.[3]
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.[3] Seu was alive when Aurangzeb 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.
He was the patriarch of the Seu-Manaku-Nainsukh family, which would produced famous artists such as Manaku, Nainsukh, Fattu, Khushala, Kama, Ranjha, Gursahai, Sukhdayal, Deviditta, Gaudhu, Nikka, Saudagar, Attra, and Ramdayal.[4] [5] 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 series that Seu had left unfinished.
The periods of the Seu familial atelier can be divided as follows:[6]
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.