Indian Sculpture and Painting, Illustrated by Typical Masterpieces, with an Explanation of their Motives and Ideals c10.84

c10.84

The early Buddhist records contain many allusions to "picture halls," which were no doubt the halls of monasteries painted with sacred subjects, like those of the sculpture galleries already described; or paintings on the walls of garden quadrangles, protected by verandahs, such as are commonly attached to royal palaces and private dwellings in Northern India. These were used as picture galleries even in recent times, before Indian art fell into utter disrepute, and it became fashionable among Indian princes to import inferior European oil-paintings and English furniture.