Artistic Techniques in Indian Paintings

Questions and Answers

What does the stupa in Fig. 4.15 represent?

The mahaparinibbana

The tree in Fig. 4.15 stands literally for a tree.

False

What is the name of the image depicted in Fig. 4.17?

shalabhanjika

Historians need to familiarise themselves with the ______________________ of those who produced these works of art.

traditions Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the wheel in Fig. 4.16?

It represents the first sermon of the Buddha Signup and view all the answers

The sculptures at Sanchi were directly inspired by Buddhist ideas.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is the event depicted in Fig. 4.15 (middle right)?

The meditation of the Buddha Signup and view all the answers

The woman at the gate in Fig. 4.17 is holding onto a ______________________.

tree Signup and view all the answers

Match the following figures with their significance in Buddhist art:

Stupa = The mahaparinibbana Wheel = The first sermon of the Buddha Tree = The meditation of the Buddha Woman at the gate = A shalabhanjika Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Artistic Techniques

The artists used the technique of shading to give a three-dimensional quality to their paintings.

Naturalistic Paintings

Some of the paintings are extremely naturalistic.

Motif: Gajalakshmi

A recurring motif is that of a woman surrounded by lotuses and elephants, which seem to be sprinkling water on her as if performing an abhisheka or consecration.
This figure may be identified as Maya, the mother of the Buddha, or as Gajalakshmi, the goddess of good fortune associated with elephants.
Devotees who saw these sculptures may have identified the figure with both Maya and Gajalakshmi.

Motif: Serpent

The serpent is a motif found on several pillars, possibly derived from popular traditions not recorded in texts.
James Fergusson, an early modern art historian, considered Sanchi to be a centre of tree and serpent worship.

Storytelling in Stone

The sculpture in Figure 4.13 appears to depict a rural scene but is actually a scene from the Vessantara Jataka, a story about a generous prince who gave away everything to a Brahmana.
Art historians study the sculpture by comparing it with textual evidence.

Symbols of Worship

Early sculptors did not show the Buddha in human form but instead showed his presence through symbols.
The empty seat symbolizes the meditation of the Buddha, and the stupa represents the mahaparinibbana.
The wheel symbolizes the first sermon of the Buddha, delivered at Sarnath.
These sculptures cannot be understood literally and require familiarity with the traditions of those who produced them.

Popular Traditions

Sculptures at Sanchi were perhaps not directly inspired by Buddhist ideas, such as the image of a woman swinging from the edge of the gateway, holding onto a tree.
This image may be a representation of a shalabhanjika, a figure described in Sanskrit literature.