Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (cave 21)
Oil Painting
1872-1885 (Made)
1872-1885 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a copy of a painting on the ceiling of cave 21 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).
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 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).
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 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 21) (series title) |
| 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 represents the surviving half-section of a ceiling panel inside cave 21 at Ajanta. Bands of concentric circles radiate out from a central point. Most of the bands are plain, there is one with a regular, non-geometric design and with a floral pattern. The final circle is enclosed in a square border. This border is itself richly painted with two narrow bands filled with jewels and scroll patterns which sandwich a wider band of floral decoration. The corners resulting from enclosing the circle in the square are also ornately painted. One of them has two half-human creatures fighting and the other has a creature, not easily identifiable, within it. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'cave 21 / 7'-5" long, 4' high' (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 on the ceiling of cave 21 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). 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 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.3-1892 |
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| Record created | November 25, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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