Study Guide · Chapter 2
Prehistoric and Ancient Painting
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- Rock art: The earliest evidence of painting in India comes from prehistoric rock shelters, most famously at Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site), where paintings span from the Upper Paleolithic through the historical period, depicting hunting scenes, animals, and later social/ritual life, made using natural pigments (red ochre/hematite, white, occasionally green and yellow).
- Ajanta Caves (Maharashtra): The most celebrated body of ancient Indian painting, executed in two main phases (roughly 2nd century BCE, and a more extensive phase in the 5th century CE under Vakataka patronage). Painted using a technique often loosely described as "fresco-style" (though technically closer to tempera, applied on a dry, prepared plaster surface rather than true wet-plaster fresco), depicting Jataka tales (stories of the Buddha's previous lives), royal courts, and everyday life with remarkable naturalism, elegant line, and emotional expressiveness. Rediscovered by British officer John Smith in 1819.
- Bagh Caves (Madhya Pradesh): A related, though less well-preserved, body of Buddhist cave paintings from a similar era.
- Sittanavasal Caves (Tamil Nadu): Jain cave paintings, notable for a famous lotus pond ceiling fresco.
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