Wall Paintings of India
Posted on May 30, 2008 in Art & Culture by Gitanjali
There were influences from many directions on India’s art right from religious and cultural to regional impacts. The influence of Buddhism is first seen in paintings at Ajanta (2nd BC to the 7th century AD). At Ajanta, the temples were built into the stone cliffs, with the paintings on the wall - which were illustrations of the stories of Buddha.
The Theme
The themes of these wall-paintings widely range from Buddhist legends to decorative patterns of animals and flowers. They mostly depict the permanent human principles and values and are also rich records of the social texture of the times. The Golden Age of India under the Mauryan Empire was marked by luxurious living and splendor. The Ajanta murals were painted during this time of prosperity.
Apart from their decorative purpose, they also constitute a form of visual education like picture books from which one learns of one’s heritage. Wall paintings in Punjab, outer Delhi and Rajasthan are usually made at festivals and special occasions like marriages.
The Pattern
The pattern is made by first making down a number of dots to make the outline of the design, then joining them together by lines in different colours. This calls for intense concentration and immense patience, for an error in a single dot or dash can upset the entire composition. Each pattern is known by the number of dots used. One is popularly known as masti-bar-mat design, a composition of ten dots. The colours used in this are green, violet and yellow. There are intricate designs of roses and jasmines covering the entire wall.
These murals form the soul of an entire aesthetic tradition which later expanded to other countries in Asia. Versatility of line and form and role of colour and composition are the characteristic features of this art form. These paintings create a feeling of gaiety, wonder and resonance in the beholder. The viewer is transformed into a different state of consciousness, one where sound and light and colour and palpable form are fused into one separate reality.
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