ajanta paintings

24
Ajanta Paintings Manasi Khati 3 rd Sem. M. A. (Archaeology)

Upload: krisha-desai

Post on 08-Nov-2014

136 views

Category:

Documents


3 download

DESCRIPTION

paintings of ajanta

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Ajanta Paintings

Ajanta Paintings

Manasi Khati3rd Sem.M. A. (Archaeology)

Page 2: Ajanta Paintings

Ajanta plays an important role in Indian Art History and Cave Architecture. It is rich both in sculptural, architectural and painting embellishment (Decoration). It provides an unique combination of these three activities at one place. The Ajanta moment considered as the high watermark of the Buddhist classical tradition of art because of its absolute precision and uncommon verve and vigour.

Page 3: Ajanta Paintings

EARLIER REFERENCES OF PAINTINGS

Indian painting is said to be as old as the epic period..

Kalidasa- Parvati’s first bloom of maidenhood-mahakavya KumarsambhavamMahabharata-Usha fallen in love with Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna- her maid and friend Chitralekha draws a number of portraits from her imagination.Bhavabhuti’s ‘Uttar-Ram-Charita’ shows a whole seen that Ram and Sita in picture galleryThe Yaksha of the Meghduta paints the portrait of his beloved. Agnimitra is represented as looking at the painting of the young and beautiful Malavika-Malavikagnimitram.

Page 4: Ajanta Paintings

Western World Painting ExamplesMinos of Knossos (2000 B.C.)Chinese Desert (5th Cen. A. D.)On the tombs of Egyptian kingsThe Sistine Chapel of the Vatican (15th Cen. A.D.)At Sigiriya in Ceylon (5th Cen. A.D.)

Page 5: Ajanta Paintings

2nd Cen. B.C.- 9th Cen. A.D.- Buddhist Excavations in Western Ghat- near ancient trade routes.Ajanta (Lat. 20º 32’ N & Long 75º 45’ E) situated at the Aurangabad dist. of Maharashtra.cut out of the amygdaloidal trap rock. Extending over 550m. they are aligned in a horseshoe form.first noticed by some officers of the Madras Army in 1819. One of them was John Smith, an officer of the 18th Cavalry, who visited the caves on 18th April 1819 & inscribed his name on a pillar in Cave 10.The caves devoted to the Buddhism, mainly Hinayāna and Mahāyāna.

Page 6: Ajanta Paintings

The artistic activity of Ajanta roughly synchronises with the supremacy of the two powerful dynasties that rulesed over the Deccan, viz. the Sātavāhanas (Circa 235 B.C. to 225 A.D.) & the Vākātakas (Circa 250 to 510 A.D.).Total 31 caves-two types-chaityagŗihas (sanctuaries) cave no.9, 10, 19, 26, 29; the remaining 26 vihāras (monasteries).Hiuen Tsang-629-645 A.D.-a graphic description of the flourishing Buddhist establishment here.

Page 7: Ajanta Paintings

Painting:Paintings are classified as Satya, Vainika, Nagara & Mishra, which are rendered by Dr. Coomarswamy as true, lyrical, secular & mixedancient text Vishnudharmottarpurana (C. 700 A.D.)-the six canons of painting-1)Rupa bheda, 2)Pramanam, 3)Bhava, 4)Lavanya yojanam, 5)Sadrisham, 6)Varnika bhanga.The mural paintings of Ajanta narrate religious themes & these paintings colourfully illustrate a large number of jātaka stories connected to the previous births of the Buddha. The caves 1, 2, 16 and 17 have paintings on large surfaces though fragmentary in some

places.

Page 8: Ajanta Paintings

The paintings provide deep insights into the cultural milieu of the period, the amazing variety of dress & ornaments, arms & armour, temples & palaces, musical instruments & household appliances, suggest the material content of the Indian Classical Period.

Page 9: Ajanta Paintings

Painting Technique :On the intentionally kept uneven wall the base of the plaster was given in two layers of ferruginous earth, mixed with rock-grit or sand, vegetable fibres, paddy husk, grass & other fibrous material of organic origin measuring a thickness of from three to twenty millimeters.The compact volcanic trap-rock or basalt characterized by vesicles and amygdaloidal cavities helped to hold thick layer of plaster.The surface was finally finished with a thin coat of limewash which was kept moist while the colours were applied.

Page 10: Ajanta Paintings

The artists have used a wide range of pigments, & the important chromatic colours among them are yellow, red, blue, white, black & green.Black was taken from lamp-black & remaining all colours were extracted from minerals, e.g. red-Indian red (geru), yellow-Yellow-ochre, orpiment-yellow, green-glauconite, white-lime, kaoline & gypsum, blue-lapiz lazuli.Except lapiz lazuli all the colours were locally available. Lapiz lazuli used for blue & said to have been imported from Central Asia. Excluding black, all colours were of mineral origin.The oldest excavation at Ajanta is cave no. 10 which is datable to the 2nd Cen. B.C. The Shad-danta Jātaka composition of this cave is a replica of the technique at Bharhut.

Page 11: Ajanta Paintings

The whole gamut of human life from birth to death-men, women & children of all stations of life, from the king to the slave, from the rich to the beggar, from the saint to the sinner in the crowded drama of sublimity & coarseness, love & hatred, joy & sorrow, triumph & tribulation, compassion & ingratitude, pageantry & poverty, longing & death- all pervaded by an intense religiosity.

Page 12: Ajanta Paintings

Plan of Ajanta Caves

Page 13: Ajanta Paintings

Bodhisattva Vajrapani, Cave no. 1

Page 14: Ajanta Paintings

Mahajanaka Leaving the Palace-Mahajanaka Jatak- Cave no. 1

Page 15: Ajanta Paintings

Painting of a raja with a drawn sword & a female figure kneeling before him, from the Kshantivadin Jataka Cave no.2 .

Page 16: Ajanta Paintings

Buddha in the Tushita Heavens Cave no. 2

Page 17: Ajanta Paintings

Painting of an amorous couplePrince Vishvantara & his wife Madri – Cave no. 17

Page 18: Ajanta Paintings

Dying Princess cave no 16

Page 19: Ajanta Paintings

King Khusru & Queen Shirin

Page 20: Ajanta Paintings

Couples, yaksha figures, flying celestial beings, divine beings are depicted on ceiling.

Page 21: Ajanta Paintings
Page 22: Ajanta Paintings

Motif name varies according Aparajitprichha: Matsyapatra, Makarpatra, Hamsapatra, Meghapatra, Aśvapatra, Āmrapatra, Śankhapatra, Padmapatra, Mahishapatra.

Page 23: Ajanta Paintings

ReferencesAjanta by Debala MitraAjanta, Ellora and Aurangabad Caves: an

appreciation by Prof. T. V. Pathy & Dr. V.R. N. Prasad

AJANTA, ELLORA AND AURANGABAD CAVES by R. S. Gupte

Ajanta- A Cultural Study by M.K.DhavalikarPhotographs : Shrikant Jadhav Sir

Page 24: Ajanta Paintings

Thank You