Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India c10.s3.5

c10.s3.5

To supplement our meagre information of the ancient Indian landscape painting we have to fall back on the various rules laid down in the Viṣṇudharmottara for landscape painting. It lays down that in painting the traditional six seasons, the summer has to be associated with a deep pool, languid men, the deer seeking the shade of trees, and the buffaloes wallowing in mud. The rainy season has an appropriate landscape with the sky overcast with heavy clouds through which the lightning flashes, and which are at times beautified with the rainbow. In this season, birds are shown perched on trees, and the lions and tigers are shown taking shelter in caves. The appropriate landscape for autumn has the trees heavily laden with fruits, the earth covered with ripening corn-fields, and the tanks beautified by lotuses and geese. The landscape at the approach of winter has frosty horizon, the harvested fields, and the ground wetted with dew-drops. In the winter landscape, the sky is covered with a heavy fog, men are shown shivering, while the crows and elephants are jubilant.⁶⁰ Then certain broad principles of landscape painting are laid down. The sky should be shown without any special colour, and swarming with birds. In the night, however, it should be covered with stars. The earth should be shown with the luxuriant growth of plant life. The mountain should be represented by the conglomeration of rocks, peaks, trees, waterfalls and snakes. A forest should be represented by the thick growth of various species of trees and swarming with birds and beasts. The water should be shown in conjunction with innumerable fishes, tortoises, lotus flowers and other aquatic animals and plants.⁶¹