Monday, April 3, 2017

Ajanta Caves - Part 3 - Paintings

Thursday, 23 March 2017

Ajanta is famous for the incredible paintings found in the caves. They were made with tempera paints on dry plaster. Most of the rock-cut caves in India were painted, but monsoons, conquerors, and squatters have taken their toll. Ajanta was hidden and had less water damage than other sites, so many of these amazing paintings have survived. The artwork was mostly done in the 5th century CE, and is very sophisticated in its realistic portrayal of people and animals and the use of perspective. European art did not reach this level until the Renaissance.

On a door arch in Cave 10.
A pillar in Cave 10.
In a door arch in Cave 19.
A beautiful woman in Cave 17.
The woman is but a small piece of the overall mural. It must have been spectacular in its entirety.
Like the sculpture in the previous post, the murals were sketched on the plaster before painting began.


No comments:

Post a Comment