![]() ![]() A short history of Indian cave painting Prehistoric times But knowing the distinguished and extraordinary achievements in other arts, we can expect values of world importance also from Indian painting. Painting is just one of the dimensions of Indian culture. The cultural heritage of India can be compared with the stars in the sky – everyone can look at it but no one is able to grasp the true extension of it. Since the beginning of historical times (approximately the 3rd century BC) India experienced several periods of extreme flourishing and diversity of culture. A large area of India and the diversity of cultures promise diversity in artistic styles as well. A shade of deep cave and skillful protection from seeping water provide ideal protection from elements. It is estimated that there are more than 1,500 individual rock-cut caves in India and there still are discovered new ones.īasalt, diorite, granite is widespread in Deccan Plateau – these rocks can be tough and time resistant, thus providing an ideal basis for paintings. The geology of the Deccan Plateau and some more regions of India provides enough cliff faces and domes perfectly suitable to create rock-cut architecture. India is extremely rich with ancient rock-cut cave temples – no other region in the world can compete with India in this respect. ![]() In this respect, each rock painting resembles a keyhole through which we see the abundant and vital life of our ancestors. Due to this the paintings in caves, on natural rock face provide the only possibility to see the ancient paintings (another, less convenient possibility is provided by ceramics). Due to this today we have very few examples of ancient painting – although many indications show that painting has been a very popular and well-developed form of art for many thousands of years.Ĭaves and rock-cut structures sometimes provide suitable conditions for paintings to survive – paintings here survive not just centuries but even tens of thousands of years. It disappears together with its base – paper, fabric, wood, plaster, and even walls of stone masonry buildings. There have been preserved rather many ancient paintings in India – in spite of the fact that painting is comparatively short-lived and fragile art. There are lots of medieval manuscripts that feature, for example, illuminations (small images) of nuns with cats, and cats frequently appear as doodles in the margins of Books of Hours.Scene of Samava-sarvana, Sittanavasal / Yorck Project, public domain Cats in the cloistersĬats are found in abundance as a status symbol in medieval religious spaces. Eulogies such as this suggest a strong emotional attachment to pet cats and show how cats not only cheered up their masters but provided welcome distractions from the hard mental craft of reading and writing. In one poem, a cat is described as a scholar’s light and dearest companion. In 1406, the bright green cloth was bought to make a special cover for her cat.Ĭats were also common companions for scholars, and eulogies about cats were not uncommon in the 16th century. In 1387, she commissioned a collar embroidered with pearls and fastened by a gold buckle for her pet squirrel. In fact, the 14th-century queen of France, Isabeau of Bavaria, spent excessive amounts of money on accessories for her pets. It was not unusual for high-status men and women in the middle ages to have their portrait completed in the company of a pet, most commonly cats and dogs, to signify their elevated status.īacchiacca (circa 1525), by the Italian painter Antonio d'Ubertino Verdi. Keeping an animal that was lavished with attention, affection, and high-quality food in return for no functional purpose - other than companionship - signified high status. Pets became part of the personal identity of the nobility. ![]() Pet monkeys, for example, were considered exotic and a sign that the owner was wealthy, because they had been imported from distant lands. In the middle ages, men and women were often identified by the animals they kept. But despite their association with the supernatural, medieval manuscripts showcase surprisingly playful images of our furry friends.įrom these (often very funny) portrayals, we can learn a lot about medieval attitudes towards cats - not least that they were a central fixture of daily medieval life. Their presumed links with paganism and witchcraft meant they were often treated with suspicion. Cats had a bad reputation in the middle ages. ![]()
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