Art and Culture

2020-04-27 12:00:49

Art

Mural Paintings in India

works on the walls or a solid structure are referred to as Murals
can be dated between 10th century BC and 10th century AD
Themes are Hindu, Buddhist and Jain

Murals at Ajanta

consists of a set of 29 caves, carved in a horse-shoe shape
cave no. 9 and 10 belong to the Sunga period
Use of tempera style ie use of pigments.
Hand gestures, unique hairstyle of female figure, use of emotions even in animals show the portrayal of human values and social fabric.
Themes were adopted from Jataka stories.
Outlines of the paintings are made in red ochre.
Bodhisattvas depicted are Vajrapani → protector of Buddha, Manjusri → manifestation of Buddha’s wisdom and Padmapani or Avalokitesvara symbol of compassion.

Paintings

Murals on walls, doorframes, pillars survives only in Caves 1,2,9,10,16,17. 9 and 10 belong to 2nd/1st century BC
2nd phase is of Vakataka period, technique known as fresco secco, used brushes of animal hairs, mud vegetable material applied on rock surface,
6 colours used white made from lime, Kaolin and gypsum, red and yellow from ochre, black from soot, green from glauconite, blue from lapis lazuli
Narrative scenes of Buddha, Boddhisatva, jataka, yaksha, gandharvas, apsaras
Kramrisch - paintings come forward towards the viewer, foreshortening was used, marked by multiple perspective, fine balance b/w material and spiritual perspective
Figures are slender, well proportioned, elegant, women have narrow waist, full breasts, faces marked by highly arched eyebrows, elongated eyes
Sophisticated costumes, jewellery, hairstyles
Bagh - similar to Ajanta, also had paintings, have disappeared

Vatsyayana in Kamasutra Has Mentioned 6 limbs/principles of Painting

Variety of form → Rupabheda
Portrayal of likeliness of the subject → Sadrisyan
Creation of luster and gleam with the colours → Bhava
Mixing of colours to resemble the effects of modelling → Varnikabhanga
Proportion of the object or subject → Pramanam
Immersion of emotions → Lavanyayoganam Various references to art in painting Brahmanical and Buddist literature :
representation of the myths and lore on textiles is known as Lepya Chitra
Lekhya Chitra, which has line drawings and sketches
Other examples are Dhuli Chitra, Pata Chitra etc.

Mudrarakshasa by Vishakhadutta Mentions 3 Main Styles of Paintings Called Patas

Cauka Pata → Isolated framed drawings
Dighala pata → Long scrolls of paintings
Yama pata → Isolated paintings

Architecture

Earliest Gupta rulers were Buddhist and Later ones were Brahamanical.
It was a golden period for Indian Architecture.
In caves the use of mural paintings on the wall was added.

Ajanta Caves

Has a total of 29 caves of which 25 were Viharas and 4 were Chaityas.
Dated b/w 200BC - 650CE [under the patronage of Vakataka kings]{.ul} such as Harishena.
Used Fresco painting method showing naturalism. Outlines in red colour. Blue colour is absent. Cave 16 is most elegant.
5 caves are Hinayana and 24 are Mahayana based.
Fahien and Huen Tsang mentioned them.

Udayagiri caves(MP)

5th century AD under the patronage of Chandragupta II.
sculpture of Varaha or Boar incarnation of Vishnu.
also has caves dedicated to Shiva, Narasimha, Narayana and Skanda
All 3 Hindu sects iconography present
Most iconic is theVaraha - Boar avatar of Vishnu in Cave 5
Shows Vishnu rescuing goddess earth from depths of cosmic ocean
inscription belonging to Chandragupta II
partly rock cut and partly stone built
pillared portico in front, carved doorway, pillars w/ purnaghata capitals,
Varaha avatar, 4 armed standing Vishnu , eka mukha linga, pratiharas, Durga Mahishasuramardini, are sculptures found here

Sarnath School of Architecture

During the Gupta period, a new school of sculpture developed around Sarnath.
characterised by the use of cream coloured sandstone and the use of metal.
Immaculately dressed and lacked any form of nakedness. Halo around Buddha was intricately decorated. Ex Sultanganj Buddha.

Mandapeshwar Caves in Mumbai

Brahmanical cave was later converted into a Christian cave;
sculptures of Natraja, Sada shiva and ardhanarishwara.

Religious Architecture

Tigawa, Nachna Kuthra, Bhumara, Sanchi stupa, Bodh Gaya temple, Deogarh Dashavtara temple, Dah Parbatia, Brick temple at Bhitargaon, Sirpur, Paharpur
Early temples were small, square garbhagriha, doorways intricately decorated,
5th 6th century temples built on raised plinth, Deogarh, Bhitargaon had curvilinear Shikhara

Sculpture

Continuation of Mathura and Gandhara schools, new styles also incorporated
Inspired by themes from H, M, Jaina tradition
Elaborated and fixed, rich in ornamental designs
Vishnu images are varied, combine human and animal forms ex Varaha boar
- In Mathura several radiating heads are formed
- Shanka, Chakra shown as dwarfish attendants
Shiva images show combination of linga and human form
Buddha images show variety of mudras than before
- Halo is decorated, clothes are transparent
Udaigiri in MP
Mathura
- Seated tirthankaras - headless one of Kumaragupta’s reign, background of carved throne, flywhisk attendants
- Stone image of seated tirthankara at Kankali Tila at Mathura - stocky body, wide hips, high waist, crossed legs appear tilting forward and downward
- Vishnu images and Mukhalinga found
- Standing Buddhas
Sarnath Buddhas
- 2 standing figures one seated Buddha - in meditative padmasana, hands in dharmachakra mudra, halo ornamented, flanked by monks in veneration
- Diff from Mathura - robes have no fold, yielded many bodhissattva images,
Kanheri -
- Various Buddah, Bsattava reps
Aurangabad - prominence of female imagery suggest tantric or Vajrayana influence
- Cave 7 has Tara flanked by 2 female figures accompanied by dwarfs
Horse carved out of beige sandstone found at Khairagarh
Hadda in Afghanistan use of stucco, figures of Bamyan
Metal images
- Copper img of Buddha at Sultanganj, similar in style to Sarnath
- Hoard found in Chausa, including Rishabhnatha
Teracotta -
- Small figurines, plaques at Kaushambi, Rajghat, Bhita, Mathura
- Motifs are animals, ordinary people, gods, goddesses,
- Harwan in Kashmir, Devnimori in Gujarat
- Decorated pilasters, jambs, medallions, chaitya arches etc
- Bhitargaon brick temple
- Life size image of Ganga and Yamuna at Ahichchhatra

Culture

Buddhist Culture Spread to SE Asia

Interaction w/ SL monks continued, Buddhaghosha travelled to SL wrote Vissudhimagga work on Theravada doctrine and meditation
In CN shrines and monasteries built, royal patronage under Sui and Tang dynasties, various different schools dev Ching tu was most popular
- Kashmiri monks travelled to CN, ex Sanghabhuti, Punyatrata, Dharmayashas, Kumarajiva, Paramartha, Bodhidharma
From CN it went to SE asia
Sravastivada and Mahayana in North Myanmar 3rd century CE
Cambodia - Buddhist and Shaivism taken firm root by 6th century similarly in Java Sumatra
Mahayana and Shravakayana Buddhist in Vietnam by 3rd cent
Transmitted to Korea from CN by 6th century
From Korea it spread to Japan in 538 CE and soon became state religion

Was it a Classical Age of Art, Culture?

Balance b/w sensual and spiritual
JC Harler - remarkable degree of uniformity in temples, stone sculptures, terracotta art all over G empire divides it into Early G, Gupta, late Gupta. During late G some world’s finest art produced had unique elegance, ability to effectively express higher spiritual states
Herman Goetz described Early G as combination of earthiness, daintiness, strength, elegance, sublime and grotesque
Late G - rep of human body became slender, poses more stylised
Joanna Williams - art had strong intellectual flavour, fine balance b/w representational credibility and abstracting tendencies
Walter Spink - Ajanta, Bagh, Dharashiva, Ghatotkacha, banoti Aurangabad caves testimony to fact that Vakatakas were last sponsors and guardians of golden age Harisena(Ajanta’s patron) death was end of golden age

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