Eastern Indian painting

Eastern Indian painting
also called  Pala painting 
 school of painting that flourished in the 11th and 12th centuries in the area of what are modern Bihar and Bengal. Its alternative name, Pala, derives from the name of the ruling dynasty of the period. The style is confined almost exclusively to conventional illustration on palm leaves depicting the life of the Buddha and Buddhist divinities.

      The style disappeared from eastern India after the conquest of the area by the Muslims in the late 12th century, but many of its features were preserved in Nepal. The style also influenced the art of Tibet, to a lesser extent that of Myanmar (Burma), and possibly even that of Sri Lanka and Java. The widespread nature of the influence is partly explainable by the travel of pilgrims who visited the great Buddhist centres of eastern India and carried back to their homes portable icons such as paintings and small bronzes.

      The paintings mostly depict the numerous deities evoked by later Buddhism and were used to aid in the evocation of the deities. Accordingly, they had to conform to the same strict iconographic rules used in the production of contemporary stone and bronze icons.

      The narrow leaf of the palm determined the size of the miniatures, which were about 2.25 by 3 inches (57 by 76 mm). The leaves were threaded together and enclosed in wooden covers, which typically were painted. The outlines were first drawn in black or red, then filled in with flat areas of colour—red, blue, green, yellow, and touches of white. The compositions were simple and the modeling vestigial.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Indian painting — is a form of Indian art.PreludeThe earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of pre historic times, the petroglyphs as found in places like Bhimbetka, and some of them are older than 5500 BC. Such works continued and after several… …   Wikipedia

  • painting, Western — ▪ art Introduction       history of Western painting from its beginnings in prehistoric times to the present.       Painting, the execution of forms and shapes on a surface by means of pigment (but see also drawing for discussion of depictions in …   Universalium

  • Indian natural history — Natural history in India has a long heritage with a recorded history going back to the Vedas. This article explores the history and people involved in this endeavour, with natural history being restricted to the broad fields of paleontology,… …   Wikipedia

  • Eastern art history — is devoted to the arts of the Far East and includes a vast range of influences from various cultures and religions. The emphasis is on art history amongst many diverse cultures in Asia. Developments in Eastern art historically parallel those in… …   Wikipedia

  • painting — /payn ting/, n. 1. a picture or design executed in paints. 2. the act, art, or work of a person who paints. 3. the works of art painted in a particular manner, place, or period: a book on Flemish painting. 4. an instance of covering a surface… …   Universalium

  • Painting — For other uses, see Painting (disambiguation). The Mona Lisa, by Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci, is one of the most recognizable artistic paintings in the world. Painting is the practice of applying paint, pig …   Wikipedia

  • Indian Rebellion of 1857 — Sepoy Mutiny redirects here. For other uses, see Sepoy Mutiny (disambiguation). Indian Rebellion of 1857 A 1912 map of Northern India The Revolt of 1857–59 showing the centres of rebellion including the principal ones …   Wikipedia

  • History of painting — The history of painting reaches back in time to artifacts from pre historic humans, and spans all cultures. The history of painting represents a continuous, though disrupted, tradition from Antiquity. Across cultures, and spanning continents and… …   Wikipedia

  • Linois's expedition to the Indian Ocean — Defeat of Adml. Linois by Commodore Dance, Feby. 15th. 1804, Engraving by William Daniell …   Wikipedia

  • Western painting — The history of Western painting represents a continuous, though disrupted, tradition from Antiquity. [Art of the Western World: From Ancient Greece to Post Modernism (Paperback)by Bruce Cole, Simon and Shuster, 1981,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”