Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (Cave 1)
Oil Painting
1872-1873 (made)
1872-1873 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The cave paintings of Ajanta are the oldest to survive in India. They depict scenes from the lives of the Buddha and date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480. The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and later Captain Robert Gill made copies of the paintings. Unfortunately, most of the copies were destroyed by fire, so in 1872 John Griffiths, the principle of the Bombay School of Art, began painting new ones. He and his Indian students made approximately 300 paintings, of which this is one.
This painting depicts a Bodhisatva in a forest setting.
This painting depicts a Bodhisatva in a forest setting.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (Cave 1) (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Oil on canvas |
| Brief description | Copy of painting in the caves of Ajanta by John Griffiths and students from the Bombay School of Art, oil on canvas, 1872-1885, India |
| Physical description | This painting is of a bodhisattva in a beautiful forest /mountainous setting. In the top left hand corner there are charm bearers, identified as such by the sword he is carrying which represents their magic knowledge. In the bottom left hand corner you have a royal entourage, local king and queens taking offerings of flowers. The figure on the right hand side has been the source of many theories. - Identified as the personification of a Vajra – a vajra is a five pronged sceptre which represents the combination of wisdom and compassion. When a bodhisattva is depicted as holding a vajra, they are called vajrapani and are seen to embody the power of all the Buddhas. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Commissioned by Government of India between 1872-1885 and deposited at the India Museum, London |
| Summary | The cave paintings of Ajanta are the oldest to survive in India. They depict scenes from the lives of the Buddha and date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480. The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and later Captain Robert Gill made copies of the paintings. Unfortunately, most of the copies were destroyed by fire, so in 1872 John Griffiths, the principle of the Bombay School of Art, began painting new ones. He and his Indian students made approximately 300 paintings, of which this is one. This painting depicts a Bodhisatva in a forest setting. |
| Bibliographic reference | Bryant, Julius and Weber, Susan, John Lockwood Kipling: Arts and Crafts in the Punjab and London Newhaven: Yale University Press, 2017
p. 530, cat. 66, fig. 1.36 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.11-1885 |
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| Record created | November 10, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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