Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (cave 16)
Oil Painting
1881-1883 (made)
1881-1883 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a copy of a painting in cave 16 at Ajanta. The white patches cover fragile areas that require conservation work.
The cave paintings of Ajanta are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480 and depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the Jatakas). This painting shows a scene from the Bhagvan Jataka when a horse and elephant are born at the royal stables at the same time as the Bodhisattva.
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 cave paintings of Ajanta are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480 and depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the Jatakas). This painting shows a scene from the Bhagvan Jataka when a horse and elephant are born at the royal stables at the same time as the Bodhisattva.
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 | |
| Title | Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (cave 16) (series title) |
| Materials and techniques | Oil on canvas |
| Brief description | Copy of Fresco 'B2' in Cave '16' in the caves of Ajanta by John Griffiths and students from the Bombay School of Art, oil on canvas, 1872-1885, India. |
| Physical description | In the bottom half of the painting are two elephants sheltering under pointed roofs. Above them is a scene inside a horse stable with five horses and four men tending to them. There is a strip of floral decoration along the left hand side of the painting. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'B2 right side of wall of right aisle at right side of 2nd cell doorway. / Cave 16 / 2-11" wide 6-4" height' (Painted by hand 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. Historical significance: The paintings inside the caves of Ajanta tell stories from the lives of the Buddha. This painting depicts a scene from the Bhagvan Jataka. The scene depicted is when a horse and elephant are born at the royal stables at the same time as the Bodhisattva. 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 16 at Ajanta. The white patches cover fragile areas that require conservation work. The cave paintings of Ajanta are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480 and depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the Jatakas). This painting shows a scene from the Bhagvan Jataka when a horse and elephant are born at the royal stables at the same time as the Bodhisattva. 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 |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.78-1887 |
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| Record created | November 24, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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