Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (cave 17); Copy of painting from the caves of Ajanta
- Object:
- Place of origin:
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Griffiths, John (artist)
Bombay School of Art (artist)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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This is a copy of a painting in cave 17 at Ajanta. These paintings date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480 and are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the Jatakas).
The Ajanta cave complex was discovered in 1819 and since then attempts have been made to document the paintings inside them. In 1844 Major Robert Gill was commissioned to make copies. Unfortunately most of the paintings he completed were destroyed in a fire in 1866. To replace them, from 1872 to 1885 John Griffiths from the Bombay School of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter at the caves producing approximately 300 paintings. This is one of them.
Physical description
This painting depicts a panel from one of the pilasters in cave seventeen.
This painting is divided into eight sections. Each of the sections has a different design; some have a bunch of flowers, some have a bunch of fruit, one has a goose, one an elephant and one has two elf-like figures in it. The sections are separated by thick lines of geometric designs. The two wider bands have a fret motif which is very similar to European/ Greek motifs.
Place of Origin
Ajanta, India (made)
Date
1881-1883 (made)
Artist/maker
Griffiths, John (artist)
Bombay School of Art (artist)
Materials and Techniques
Oil on canvas
Marks and inscriptions
From first palaster right side wall
cave 17
Dimensions
Height: 1240 mm, Width: 765 mm, Height: 1250 mm with frame, Width: 700 mm with frame, Depth: 40 mm with frame
Object history note
Commissioned by the Government of India between 1872-1885 and deposited in the India Museum, London.
Historical context note
The cave paintings of Ajanta are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the jatakas) and date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480. The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and since then attempts have been made to document the paintings inside them. In 1844 Major Robert Gill was commissioned to make copies. Unfortunately most of the paintings he completed were destroyed in a fire in 1866. To make up for this loss, from 1872, John Griffiths from the Bombay school of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter for the following 13 years at the caves producing approximately 300 paintings, of which this is an example.
Descriptive line
Copy of painting in the caves of Ajanta by John Griffiths and students of the Bombay School of Art.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Griffiths, J, The paintings in the Buddhist cave temples of Ajanta, India, 1896
Burgess, J, Notes on the Bauddha Rock-Temples of Ajanta, Bombay, 1879
Zin, M, Guide to the Ajanta Paintings, Vol.2, New Delhi, 2003.
Production Note
Painted by John Griffiths and students from the Bombay School of Art
Subjects depicted
India; Buddhism
Categories
Paintings; Buddhism
Collection code
SSEA
