Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India c10.s1.7

c10.s1.7

It may be objected that the representation of a figure is in direct contradiction with the principle of full visibility, since in profile one side of the face remains invisible. But the full-view and the three-quarter view also suffer from this defect of incompleteness, because they also cannot render the individual contour of the face. The Indian artist had to make his choice among these attitudes. He had to sacrifice the outline of the head or give up the representation of one eye. He adopted the latter course. Due to these conventions which fettered originality, the human figures in medieval Western Indian painting have an air of detachment, and congealed in their poses they have a doll-like appearance.