Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c76.100

v2.c76.100

Another work of the Śilpa Śāstra, which treats of painting and is not available in print, is the Nāradaśilpa which I propose to examine now. A manuscipt of this work is available in the Adyar Library, Adyar, Madras. Two chapters of this work are devoted to painting, one to the architecture of Citra-Śālā, ‘Art gallery’, and another to painting itself. We all know that besides the houses and temples, a place called the Citra Śālā in the palaces of kings contained pictures. We hear of this Citra Śālā of the king’s palace in the Mālavikāgnimitra of Kālidāsa. But the hall for pictures and its architecture are nowhere else described in works of Śilpa except in the Nāradaśilpa. From this work which describes only the public Citra Śālā of the city, we also come to know that in ancient India, apart from the Art gallery in the palaces, there were also public Art galleries in the city. The Naiṣadha, X. 35 and Kādambarī mention public Art galleries of the city.