Essay name: Arts in the Puranas (study)
Author:
Meena Devadatta Jeste
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune
This essay studies the Arts in the Puranas by reconstructing the theory of six major fine arts—Music, Dance, Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, and Literature—from the Major and Minor Puranas. This thesis shows how ancient sages studied these arts within the context of cultural traditions of ancient India.
Chapter 5 - Painting in the Puranas
9 (of 45)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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TEXTS ON THE ART OF PAINTING.
Among the texts on painting in India the Citrasūtra
in the Visnudharmottara is the one standard text. It is the
oldest text dealing with the technique and theory of Indian
painting. Dr. Stella Kramrisch remarks, "Part III of the
Vismidharmottara gives the fullest account hitherto known of
the various branches, methods and ideals of Indian painting."
The Citrasutra in the Vismudharmottera has valuable material
on the classification of pictures, painting materials, merits
and defects in painting as well as practical hints very
useful to painters. The technique and process of painting,
colours, tools, methods of preparing painting canvases,
plastered wall, proportions of human figure, various poses of
body, different varieties of hair and eyes and the conventions,
all these are dealt with in detail.
The other Sanskrit texts on painting are of the medieval
period namely, the Citralaksana and the Samarangana Sutradhara.
Besides the Vis mudharmottara the other compilation of ancient
date is the 'Citralaksana' by Nagnagit, which indicates
Mr.
The
according to Percy Brown, the pre-Buddhist tradition.
main theme of the Samarangana Sutradhara by King Bhoja is
architecture. It contains a small section on painting.
Abhilasitartha-Cintamani by King Somesvaradeva (12th Cen.A.D.),
Aparajitaprecha, sivatatvaratnākara (17th Cen.A.D.), Silparatna
(16th Cen.A.D.), Naradasilpa, Sarasvati - Silpa, and Prajapati
