Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India c6.94

c6.94

This rather long description of the technique is quoted, in order to show the wide technical differences between the Buddhist miniatures from Bengal and the Jain miniatures from Western India. The employment of palm-leaf for painting, the miniatures not forming organically or decoratively a part of the script, the representations of the incidents from the lives of the founders of Jainism and Buddhism, and the depiction of the Tantric gods and goddesses, are the common features of the illustrated palm-leaf manuscripts from Bengal and Western India. But after these the similarity ends and the differences begin. In Western Indian miniature technique there is no attempt at strong draughtsmanship and the angularity is an outstanding feature. There is constant break in the line, and the drawing is usually careless. In Pāla painting the figures were usually first outlined and then filled with colours, but in Western Indian miniatures the figures were first modelled in colours and then outlined. The final outlining in Pāla paintings was done in deeper shades of the colours of the figures, but in Western Indian miniature painting black was the usual colour employed. The eye-lids in Pāla paintings are shaded, but this convention is non-existent in Western Indian miniatures. Pāla paintings are said to have preserved certain features of the contemporary life and manners of the people; in this way as well Western Indian miniatures are of far greater interest for the history of Indian costume and contemporary manners and customs in Western India.