Copy of painting in the caves of Ajanta (Cave 2)
Painting
1872-1885 (made)
1872-1885 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a copy of a painting inside cave 2 at Ajanta. The cave paintings here are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India and date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480.
Here you can see long scolling flower stems with lotus and other flowers in an aquatic setting with a pair of geese. The lotus is an emblem of purity and is associated with the Buddha. So too are the geese, which are symbols of the dispersal of the Buddha's message.
The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and attempts were 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 to 1885 John Griffiths from the Bombay School of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter at the caves. This is one of the approximately 300 paintings they produced.
Here you can see long scolling flower stems with lotus and other flowers in an aquatic setting with a pair of geese. The lotus is an emblem of purity and is associated with the Buddha. So too are the geese, which are symbols of the dispersal of the Buddha's message.
The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and attempts were 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 to 1885 John Griffiths from the Bombay School of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter at the caves. This is one of the approximately 300 paintings they produced.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
|
| Materials and techniques | Oil on canvas |
| Brief description | Copy of a painting in the caves of Ajanta showing floral details, by John Griffiths and students of the Bombay School of Art, oil on canvas, 19th century, India |
| Physical description | Strip of floral decoration consisting of long curling stalks with several different types of flowers and two geese. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | 'JE N / 10' |
| Historical context | 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 one. |
| Production | Painted by John Griffiths and students from the Bombay School of Art |
| Subject depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | This is a copy of a painting inside cave 2 at Ajanta. The cave paintings here are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India and date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480. Here you can see long scolling flower stems with lotus and other flowers in an aquatic setting with a pair of geese. The lotus is an emblem of purity and is associated with the Buddha. So too are the geese, which are symbols of the dispersal of the Buddha's message. The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and attempts were 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 to 1885 John Griffiths from the Bombay School of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter at the caves. This is one of the approximately 300 paintings they produced. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.116-1885 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | October 21, 2005 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
