Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (cave 11)
Oil Painting
possibly 1872-1885 (made)
possibly 1872-1885 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a copy of a painting in cave 11 at Ajanta. The white patches cover fragile areas that require conservation work. It depicts a Bodhisattva, a highly spiritual being on the path to enlightenment. Here he is in a landscape setting surrounded by a variety of genies and forest-dwellers.
The Ajanta cave 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 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.
The white patches on the painting are placed over fragile areas that require conservation work.
The Ajanta cave 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 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.
The white patches on the painting are placed over fragile areas that require conservation work.
Object details
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| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Oil on canvas |
| Brief description | Copy of painting in the caves of Ajanta by John Griffiths and students of the Bombay School of Art. |
| Physical description | This painting depicts the top half of a magnificent Bodhisattva with an ornate crown in a green landscape surrounded by various genie figures. This is typical of other Bodhisattva images in Ajanta. This Bodhisattva holds a bunch of flowers in his left hand. In the top left hand corner there are two figures which have bodies that are half human and half bird. They are Kinnaras and they are holding cymbals in their hands with which they will play music. The green figure to the left is a forest inhabitant. Below them is a genie couple. On the top right hand corner is another genie couple, they have large ears like an elephant and may be Gajakarnas. Slightly below them are three ascetic figures and below them are another genie couple. |
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| Marks and inscriptions | A, Cave 11, Along.....410 (On back of canvas) |
| Credit line | Received from the India Office |
| Object history | Commissioned by the Government of India between 1872-1885 and deposited in the India Museum, London. Received from the India Office. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. |
| 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 an example. |
| 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 in cave 11 at Ajanta. The white patches cover fragile areas that require conservation work. It depicts a Bodhisattva, a highly spiritual being on the path to enlightenment. Here he is in a landscape setting surrounded by a variety of genies and forest-dwellers. The Ajanta cave 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 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. The white patches on the painting are placed over fragile areas that require conservation work. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.1-1892 |
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| Record created | July 6, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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