Synopses & Reviews
THE HERITAGE OF INDIA INDIAN PAINTING By PERCY BRQWN ASSOCIATE, ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART INDIAN EDUCATIONAL SKRVICK PRINCIPAL, GOVERNMENT SCHOOL OF ART, CALCUTTA OKPICER-IN CHARGE, ART SECTION, INDIAN MUSEUM TRUSTEE. INDIAN MUSEUM, CALCUTTA. ILLUSTRATED SECOND EDITION CALCUTTA THE ASSOCIATION PRESS Y. M. C. A. LONDON OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW YORK, TORONTO, MELBOURNE, BOMBAY AND MADRAS IKINIKU AT T1IK WKSI. EYAN MISSION PRKSS, MYSORE CITY. 1927. PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION IT is now some ten years since this book was first written and a second edition has been called for. During this period a considerable amount of fresh material has been collected, and the study of Indian Painting has made much progress. The information thus accumulated, while ampli fying appreciably our general knowledge, has affected to no great extent the main outlines of the subject. As this little book, owing to its size, is limited to these outlines, it is again issued in its original form, with the exception of a few necessary alterations. June, 1927. P. B. CONTENTS PART I History of Indian Painting PAGE INTRODUCTION . . . . . . 5 I. EARLY PERIOD . . . . . . . . 15 II. BUDDHIST PERIOD . . . . . . . . 25, III. MEDIEVAL PERIOD . . . . . . . . 42 IV. Tim MUGHAL SCHOOL . . . . . . 47 V. THE RAJPUT SCHOOL . . . . . . 54 VI. THE MODERN SCHOOL . . . . . . 61 PART II Description of Indian Painting VII. THE BUDDHIST FRESCOES . . . . . . 71 VIII. THE MUGHAL MINIATURES . . . . . . 80 IX. PORTRAITURE UNDER THE MUGHALS . . . . 87 X. RAJPUT PAINTING .. ., . .. 99 3u. MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUE .. .. .. Ill LIST OF INDIAN PIGMENTS . . . . . . 123 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . 124 COLLECTIONS OF INDIAN PICTURES .. .. 125 INDEX .. .. .... .. 127 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE 1. Interior View of Cave-Temple at Ajanta, showing position of frescoes 7th century . . . . 30 2. Adoration Group Mother and Child before Buddha, Fresco from Ajanta, Cave 17 6th century, from 1 Ajanta Frescoes, India Society . . . . 34 3. Fresco Painting from Sigiriya, Ceylon 5th century . . 37 4. Fresco from Dandan Uiliq, Khotan 8th century, from Ancient Khotan, by Stein . . . . 45 5. Mughal Picture, depicting the Emperor Jehangir on a Shooting Expedition 17th century . . . . 51 6. Incident in the Life of Krishna, Kangra kalm 18th century . . . . . . . . 58 7. Abhisarika, by Abanindra Nath Tagore Modern . . 65 8. Fresco in Cave 1, Ajanta, probably illustrating f The Great Renunciation 7th century . . . . 73 9. Fresco In Cave 17, Ajanta, illustrating the Maha Hailtsa Jataka 6th century, from Ajanta Fres cos, India Society . . . . . . 76 10. Fresco from Sigiriya, Ceylon 5th century . . 78 11. Indo-Persian Picture 16th century .. .. 81 12. Mughal Picture, representing the celebrations at the birth of Shah Jehan late 16th century . . . . 85 13. Mughal Portrait, the Emperor Shah Jehan 1627 to 1658 . . . . . . . . . . 90 14. Scene by the Roadside, Kangra kalm 18th century . . 101 15. Dance of Siva Sandhya Gayalri, Kangra kalm . . 107 16. Portrait Group, in the Kangra kalm 18th century . . 108 17. Portrait of Prithvi-Raja, in the Jeypore kalm 18th century . . ., . . . . 109 INTRODUCTION LESS than thirty years ago the West had settled down to the comfortable feeling that there was no such art as painting in India. The few publications on Indian art previous to that time distinctly state that the country is deficient in pictorial art. The acceptance of thisdictum simplified matters, and made what little study there was of this subject comparatively easy. It is true, a certain number of decoratively coloured miniatures had at different times been obtained from India, but in the museums of the West these were usually catalogued as Persian, and actually sometimes as Chinese. They were not regarded as ex amples of fine art, or even as pictures, but generally treated as ornamental book illustrations in other words, interest ing specimens of applied art. The reason for this state of affairs is not far to seek...