Ajanta paintings _ Traditions and Techniques.

Salient features on Ajanta painting: _Philosophy_ Tradition _Techniques.

1. Jeevan Lal
University ofKerala
MVA Art History and Aesthetics.
RRV Centre of Excellence for Visual Arts
Mavelikkara, Kerala.
AJANTA
An astonishing painting tradition

2. Location
The caves, lying deep inside the SahyadriHills,
are hollowed out on the deep face of a
horseshoe-shapedhillside with the Waghora
river flowing through it.
The caves of Ajanta are situated in the district
of Aurangabad in the state of Maharashtra.
Ajanta is about 100 km from Aurangabad and
about 60 km from Jalgaon.
The another equally important monuments of
Elloraare only about 30 km away

3. The caves of Ajanta offer an instructive field
for the study of the evolution of rock-cut
architecture. The evolution of rock architecture
took place during two periods.
The Hinayanaperiod and
The later Mahayana period.

4. First Phase-Hinayanaperiod
(2
nd
-1
st
centuries BC)
The earliest caves (Nos. 8, 9, 10, 13 & 15A)
were excavated during the rule of the
Satavahana, who had their capital at
Pratishthana. During their rule there was brisk
trade and commerce within the land and
with the Mediterranean world, which brought
in enormous riches.

5. Second Phase Mahayana period
(4th–6th centuries AD)
The second phase was of greater artistic
activity at Ajanta and the remaining caves were
excavated during the rule of the Vakataka
dynasties from the 4th to the 6th centuries
AD.

6. Re-discovery
James Burgess and William Gill
made copies of some of the paintings
and exhibited in London in 1866.
Later some copies were made
by Griffiths and Lady Herringham
and published in 1896 and 1915.
Under the patronage of the Nizam,
the then ruler of Hyderabad,
Yazdaniedited and published
two volumes on the paintings in 1933.

7. Rahulaand Yashodharameet the Buddha, Cave 17
Reproductionby Herringham

10. Chaitya-s –Temples
Vihara-s -Monasteries
The caves of Ajanta are divided into
Chaitya Vihara

11. Themesof Paintings
The subjects of the paintings are
mostly from the jataka-s, Buddhist
mythological stories of the previous lives
of the Master
During the first phase, the Buddha was
not shown in the human form,
but only through symbols, such as, the
Wheel, the BodhiTree and the Feet of
the Buddha.
But during the Mahayana period
sculptures and paintings of the Buddha
was added.

12. VesantharaJathaka

13. ShibiJathaka

14. Maras episode

15. Earlier Phase (2
nd
cent BC to 1
st
cent AD)
Main Characteristics.
*Images placed at Eye level.
*Images are arranged by Episodes to Episode.
*Narration arranged in the form of long single canvas.
Composition

16. Later Phase (4
th
cenonwards)
Main Characteristics.
*Images are multi focused.
*Images are arranged the entire surface of the wall.
*Arranged the images Scene by scene accordingly,
not divided by any frame.
Composition

17. Painting techniques.
Indian wall paintings called Fesco-
Secco.It is a painting technique which
is used in to Dry wall surface.
‘ChithraSuthra’ it is a sub text of
‘VishnudharmotharaPurana’
(7
th
Cent AD text) Which explains the
process of preparing the surface,
plaster and finish coat. The process
called ‘Vajralepa’.
Fesco-Secco.
Chithakamalikhithaka–
One who doingcolouringjobs.

18. Preparing the wall-
Base Plaster
It consisted of powdered brick,
burnt conches and sand, mixed
with a molasses and decoction of
Phaseolusmunga.
To this were added mashed ripe
bananas or tree resins and the
pulp of bilvafruit.
After drying it was ground down
and mixed with molasses and
water until became soft for
coating.

19. Preparing the wall-
Finish Coat
Buffaloskinwas boiled in water
until it became soft. Sticks were
then made of the paste and
dried in the sunshine. When
colourwas mixed with this, it
made it fast, and if white mud
was mixed with it, it served as a
perfect medium for coating
walls.

20. PigmentUsed
Most pigments were minerals
available locally: red ochre, vivid
red, yellow ochre, indigo blue,
chalk white, terra verteand green.
Only Lapis lazuli was imported,
Lamp-black was the only non-
mineral

21. Applying Technique.
A preliminary sketch was drawn while
the surface was still slightly wet. On this
surface the outline was filled in with
various colours, proceeding from
underpaintingto the appropriate
coloursof the subject.
Finally, when dry, it was finished off with a
dark outline for final definition and a
burnishing process to give luster to the
surface.

22. Painting Tredition
Treatises were codified based
on Ajanta .
Brihat-samhita(6
th
century)
Kama-sutra (6
th
century)
Vishnu-dharmottara(7
th
century)
Samarangana-sutra-dhara(11
th
century)

23. Painting Tradition
‘Six Limbs of Painting’ according to Kama-
sutra, a well-known treatise on erotics.
‘’ rupabhethapramani
Bhavalavanya yojanamsadrisyam
varnikabhangam
Itichithramshadangakam’’
rupa-bheda- Differentiation
pranamam- Proportion
Bhavam- Suggestion of mood
Lavanyayojanam-Infusion of grace
sadrishyam- Resemblance
Varnikabhangam-Application of colour

24. ‘Eight Limbs of Painting’
according to Samarangana-sutra-dhara.
a well-known treatise on architecture.
bhUmi-bandhanapreparation of surface
varnika crayon work
rekha-karma outline work
lakshaNa features of face
varna-karma colouring
vartana-karma relief by shading
lekha-karma correction
dvika-karma final outline
Painting Tradition

25. Depthin paintings
Perspective.
A technique of painting scenes
from different angles and merging
them, similar to the modern
technique called Multiple Vision.

26. Depthin paintings
Multiple Vision
A technique of painting scenes
from different angles and merging
them, similar to the modern
technique called Multiple Vision.

27. Depthin paintings
For shottening
A technique of painting scenes
from different angles and merging them,
similar to the modern technique
called Multiple Vision.

28. Depthin paintings
Animnonnata-flat style
Nimnonnata-relief by shading

29. Depthin paintings
animnonnata
A flat style that uses dark
colours for the subjects in the
foreground against a
background of lighter shades,
or vice versa

30. Depthin paintings
Vartana
A high-relief technique to produce
an illusion of the third dimension
Patraja
(‘shading-like-the-lines-of-a-leaf
Binduja(dot-and-stipple method) Illusion of
depth is achieved by painting dots with
variations in concentration of dots.
nimnonnata

31. Depthin paintings
Airika(a wash technique)
Illusion of depth is achievedby
executing tonal variation and avoiding
hard-lines.
Ujjotana(adding highlights)
Highlights in the form of white patches
added on the cheeks, the chin, the
nose, etc
to get a three-dimensional effect.
Chaya-tapa(‘shade-and-shine’)
A technique that produces a
chiaroscuro effect Use of Blue Colour
(Lapis Lazuli)In the later period lapis
lazuli, a blue, imported mineral came
to be used as an effective medium for
creating visual depth, contrasting with
warm red and brown tones

32. Paintings and
NatyaSasthra
The relationship between painting and
dance is a remarkable unique
Indian tradition.
Vishnu-dharmottara(7th century AD)
stresses the impossibility of attaining
a proper expression of feeling
in painting without the knowledge of
theatre and dance
Dancing had become highly stylised
in the later period. A dancer with full
complement of accompanying musicians is
from Cave 1.
“VibavaAbnubhavaVyabhichariSamyoga”
_Bharatha.

33. TribhangaPose
It gives the body an S-shaped
rhythm, a fluency of line, which,
together with the appropriate
gestures of hands, conveys a wide
range of expressions.
Paintings and
NatyaSasthra

34. Symbolism
The parts of the body
should resemble, and be based on,
similes drawn from plant or animal-life.
Sensuous lips are ripe and full like the
bimba-fruit; fingers likened to
lotus-petals.

35. Portrait of women
The Ajanta artist has
painted the whole range
of women characters:
ladies of court and their
maids, dancers, common
women in their houses
and all.

36. Portrait of women

37. Many heroines of Ajanta are dark coloured. Perhaps taste included
black as an attractive beauty for skin.
Portrait of women

38. Movements
Vishnu-dharmottarasays:
"He, who paints waves, flames, smoke, …
according to the movement of the wind,
is a great painter."
Ajanta painters took great pleasure in
composing scenes involving movement
with great zest.
Indra’sDescent, Cave 17

39. Movements

40. Humour
ChampeyyaJataka, Cave 1Friends drinking, Cave 2

41. Musicalinstruments
In Ajanta, we can study the
development of our musical
heritage. We can see both the
continuity and change over the
period. A variety of musical
instruments have been depicted.

42. Musicalinstruments

43. Ceilingpaintings-Animals

44. Ceilingpaintings-Birds

45. Celingpaintings-Flowers

46. Ceilingpaintings-Geometrical Designs

47. Ceilingpaintings-Celestial Figures

48. Period of Decline

49. Period of Decline
Pre-Classical Period
(2nd-1st Centuries BC)
Classical Period
(4th-5
th
Centuries AD)
Baroque Period
(Mid-6th Century AD)
Period of Decline
(End-6th Century AD)

50. Period of Decline
Miracle at Shravasti, Cave 2
Period of Decline (End-6th Century AD)

51. Some astonishing scenes of Ajanta

52. Some astonishing scenes of Ajanta

53. Some astonishing scenes of Ajanta

55. Thank You
[email protected]
Bibliography
1.Dieter Schlingloff-Ajanta Narrative wall paintings/
Indiragandhinational centre.
2.Mira Seth/Indian Paintings-The great mural
tredition/Abrams,Newyork/ 2013.
3.MeeraTalim-Ajanta Painting-Unidentified
&Misinterpreted/2013.
4.google images, www.wikipedia.com/ajanta2016
5.www.ajantacaves.org/ajanta:needfor inter-deceplinary
research/oct12 2013
6.S.Swaminathan/Ajanthapaintings/powershow.com.
7.RRVCEVA-Lecture class-Deepak Kannal,Amal,2016-17.