| AJANTA
The Ajanta Caves carved
out of volcanic rock in the Maharashtra Plateau was not far off from the
ancient trade routes & attracted traders & pilgrims through whom
the Ajanta art style diffused as far as China & Japan. The Buddhist
Monks employed artists who turned the stone walls into picture books of
Buddha's life & teachings. These artists have portrayed the costumes,
ornaments & styles of the court life of their times.
The artists applied mud
plaster in two coats - the first was rough to fill in the pores of the
rocks & then a final coat of lime plaster over it. The painting was
done in stages. They drew the outline in red ochre, then applied the colours
& renewed the contours in brown, deep red or black. |
| Though not an art historian or art critic, I was fascinated by Ajanta
from my school days. I entered that world through the then available literature.
What was on offer, for the most part, were scholarly works; there was a
paucity of information for the lay, interested reader. This is so even
today. This and my continued passionate interest in it are the only two
reasons for my essay into this enchanting world of sublime beauty.
- S. Swaminathan
the many-splendoured delights of
Ajanta,
compiled by Swaminathan
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| The attenuated
poses, supple limbs, artistic features, a great variety of hair styles,
all kinds of ornaments & jewellery indicate skilled artisans.
In a mural in Cave 10,
some 50 elephants are painted in different poses bringing out the skill
of the artist in handling these bulky forms in all perspective views, with
erected tails & raised trunks, depicting sensed danger.
The styles of the later
murals reveals a merging of two streams of art, Satavahana of Andhra &
Gupta art of North India. This resulted in the classical style which had
a far reaching influence on all the paintings of the country for centuries
to come. |
Illustration
of a Prince - Cave 1
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Bodhisattava
Padmapani - Cave 1
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An
Apsara - Cave 17
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A high degree of craftsmanship
incorporating all the rules laid down by ancient Indian treatises on painting
& aesthetics are evident. One cannot but notice the fluid, yet firm
lines, long sweeping brush strokes, outlining graceful contours, subtle
gradation of the same colour, highlighting nose, eyelids, lips & chin
making the figures emerge from the flat wall surface. Animals, birds, trees,
flowers, architecture are pictured with an eye to their beauty of form.
Human emotions & character are depicted with great understanding &
skill - indignation, greed, love & compassion. |
ELLORA
 Mural
paintings in Ellora are found in 5 caves, but only in the Kailasa temple,
they are somewhat preserved. The paintings were done in two series - the
first, at the time of carving the caves & the subsequent series was
done several centuries later. The earlier paintings show Vishnu & Lakshmi
borne through the clouds by Garuda, with clouds in the background.
The sinewy figures have
sharp features & pointed noses. The protruding eye typical of the later
Gujarathi style appears for the first time in Ellora. In the subsequent
series, the main composition is that of a procession of Saiva holy men.
The flying Apsaras are graceful . Very few murals in the Jain temples are
well preserved. |
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