Explore the Manuscript Painting Tradition and Pala School of Paintings, which played a pivotal role in the evolution of Indian art, especially in Buddhist iconography during the Pala period.

• The Third Khanda of the Vishnudharmottara Purana
  • Fifth-century text containing a chapter called Chitrasutra, which is a source book for Indian art, particularly painting.
  • Describes the art of image making (pratima lakshana), which includes the canons of painting.

  • 

  • The Khanda also addresses:
    • Techniques
    • Tools
    • Materials
    • Surfaces (e.g., walls)
    • Perception, perspective, and three-dimensionality of human figures
  • Explains different limbs of painting, such as:
    • Roopbheda – looks and appearance
    • Pramana – measurements, proportions, and structure
    • Bhava – expressions
    • Lavanya Yojana – aesthetic composition
    • Sadrishya – resemblance
    • Varnikabhanga – use of brush and colors
  • These canons were followed by artists through centuries, influencing all styles and schools of painting in India.
• Miniature Paintings
  • Relatively smaller in size, these paintings were meant to be hand-held and observed from a closer distance.
  • Walls of patron mansions were often decorated with mural paintings, so miniatures were never intended to be put on walls.
• Manuscript Illustrations

  • 

  • Paintings that are pictorial translations of poetic verses from epics, canonical, literary, or music texts.
  • The text is often handwritten on the top of the painting or behind it.
  • Methodically conceived in thematic sets, with each folio corresponding to a text (e.g., Ramayana, Bhagavata Purana, Mahabharata, Gita Govinda, Ragamala).

  • 

  • Each set was wrapped in cloth and stored in a bundle in the library of a king or patron.
  • The most important folio is the colophon page, which includes details about the patron, artist, or scribe, and date/place of commission or completion.
  • Colophon pages often go missing due to time, requiring scholars to speculate the missing details.

  • 

• Challenges in the History of Paintings
  • The history of paintings is difficult to reconstruct, with fewer dated sets and many undated ones.
  • Some folios are no longer part of their original sets and are dispersed in museums and private collections, leading to challenges in chronology.
  • Undated sets are assigned hypothetical timeframes based on style and circumstantial evidence.
• Western Indian School of Painting
  • Thrived in western parts of India, with Gujarat being the most prominent center.
  • Merchants, traders, and local chieftains became powerful patrons of art due to the wealth generated by trade.

  • 

  • The Jain community was a significant patron of themes related to Jainism.
  • The concept of shaastradaan (donation of books) promoted illustrated paintings in monasteries' libraries (bhandars).
  • Popular canonical texts illustrated in Jain tradition include:
    • Kalpasutra – Events from the lives of 24 Tirthankaras.
    • Kalakacharyakatha – The story of Acharya Kalaka rescuing his sister from an evil king.
    • Uttaradhyana Sutra – The teachings of Mahavir for monks.
    • Sangrahini Sutra – A cosmological text describing the universe.

  • 

• Jain Paintings
  • Illustrations of Jain canonical texts were either sparsely or profusely painted.
  • Each folio or painting typically had text written in sections, with space allocated for both text and painting.
  • Small holes in the center of each folio allowed string to fasten the pages together, with wooden covers (patlis) protecting them.
  • Early Jain paintings were done on palm leaves before paper was introduced in the 14th century.
  • Palm leaves were treated before painting, and writing was etched with sharp calligraphic devices.
• Development of Jain Paintings
  • Jain paintings developed a schematic and simplified language, dividing space into sections to depict various incidents.
  • Bright colors and an emphasis on textile patterns were common.
  • Features like the Sultanate domes and pointed arches indicate political influence in Gujarat, Mandu, Jaunpur, and Patan.
  • Landscape features were only suggestive, not detailed.
  • Creative period for Jain paintings: 1350-1450 CE.
  • Paintings shifted from iconic representations to more elaborate depictions of landscapes, figures in dance poses, and musicians.
  • Lavishly painted works indicated the wealth and social status of patrons.
• Secular Paintings
  • A parallel tradition of secular, religious, and literary painting existed among feudal lords and wealthy citizens in the 15th and 16th centuries.
  • These paintings represent indigenous traditions before the court styles of Rajasthan and Mughal influences emerged.

Pala School of Paintings

• Pala School of Painting

  • 

  • The Pala School of Painting emerged during the Pala period (750 CE to the mid-12th century) in eastern India, particularly known for its manuscript paintings.
  • The art created during this time was largely influenced by Buddhist themes and was used to illustrate manuscripts in monasteries like Nalanda and Vikramsila.
  • The manuscripts were often adorned with images of Vajrayana Buddhist deities, and these artworks were primarily done on palm leaves.

  • 

  • Pala paintings are distinct in their use of flowing, sinuous lines and subdued color tones, which differentiate them from other Indian painting traditions like Jain paintings.
  • These paintings were not only an essential part of the religious and educational life at the time but also contributed to the dissemination of Pala art across regions such as Nepal, Tibet, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Java.
  • The tradition of manuscript painting eventually faded with the arrival of Muslim invaders, leading to the destruction of many monasteries and the decline of the Pala dynasty.

  • 

• Answering the Questions
  • 1. What are manuscript paintings? Name two places where the tradition of manuscript painting was prevalent.
    • Manuscript paintings are illustrations created on manuscripts, often to accompany written texts. These artworks typically depict religious or cultural themes and are done in various mediums, such as palm leaves. The Pala School of Painting is one of the most notable examples, where Buddhist themes were illustrated on palm leaves during the Pala period (750 CE to the mid-12th century).
    • Two places where manuscript painting was prevalent are:
      • Nalanda (a prominent Buddhist learning center in eastern India)
      • Vikramsila (another significant Buddhist monastery and center of learning)
  • 2. Take a chapter from any one of our language textbooks and make an illustrated folio with selected text (in minimum five pages).
    • This task requires you to choose a chapter from a language textbook and create an illustrated manuscript. The illustration should accompany the text, with at least five pages of the selected chapter.
    • The text could be historical, literary, or educational, and the illustrations should be relevant to the content of the text.
    • For example, if the chapter discusses a historical figure or an event, the illustrations could depict scenes from that event or the appearance of the figures involved.