Pre-Historic Painting
We do not really know if Lower Palaeolithic
people ever produced any art objects. But by the Upper Palaeolithic times we
see a proliferation of artistic activities. In India the earliest paintings
have been reported from the Upper Palaeolithic times. It is interesting to know
that the first discovery of rock paintings was made in India in 1867–68 by an
archaeologist, Archibold Carlleyle, twelve years before the discovery of
Altamira in Spain. Richest paintings are reported from the Vindhya ranges of
Madhya Pradesh and their Kaimurean extensions into Uttar Pradesh. These hill
ranges are full of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic remains.
The caves of Bhimbetka were discovered in
1957–58 by eminent archaeologist V.S. Wakankar.
The largest number of paintings belongs to
Period II that covers the Mesolithic paintings.
During this period the themes multiply but the paintings are smaller in size. Hunting
scenes predominate. Mesolithic artists loved to paint animals. In some
pictures, animals are chasing men. Women are painted both in the nude and
clothed.
Period III covers the Chalcolithic period. The paintings of this period reveal the
association, contact, and mutual exchange of requirements of the cave dwellers.
Johan Cockburn and Archibald Carlleyle: - These were the names of two Britishers who can be
given the credit of having traced the cave paintings in India. They discovered
the cave paintings of Camoor Hills in Vindhya Ranges near Mirzapur in 1880.
Bhimbaitaka Caves:- Located
between Hosangabad and Bhopal. Painted caves are more than 400 in numbers. Most
paintings are from Mesolithic era.
The Jogimara Caves seems to be the first human endeavours as
expert paintings.these
Armamalai cave painting known for Jain temple located in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu.
Gupta Era- real development of painting
The paintings of Ajanta are known to be the fountainhead of all
classic paintings of head.
Ajanta caves can be classified into two phases namely the Hinayana phase
(Uniconic) and the Mahayana phase (Iconic).
Paintings of Badami found in Karnataka.
Shahjahan- bright colours- gold and silver also used, pencil drawing
Rajput painting- themes of radha and Krishna dominated, nature
emphasized, local vegetation also painted
Rabindranath Tagore- dominant black lines, spirituality, sense of rhythm
in painting
Nandlal Bose- influence of Chinese and Japanese
M.F. Hussain- figurative art, called as Piccaaso of India, horse
dominated.
:)
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