Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c76.72

v2.c76.72

We know that arts like Architecture and Sculpture for their rise and development had the religious inspiration in their background. Naturally pictorial art too owes its origin from the religious craving of the man. The Citrajā-images, as already pointed out, were very highly extolled in the religious digests. A complete science of Indian Iconography therefore gives a proper place to the treatment of pictorial canons as well. Royal patronage and the Palace culture, however, were responsible for the development of these arts on the secular basis also. Viṣṇudharmottara, therefore, also mirrors this side-development which culminated in its full-fledged code by the time, *i.e.* 11th century, when the Samarāṅgaṇa-Sūtradhāra was written by king Bhojadeva of Dhara, one of the richest documents on the canons of ancient Indian painting. Accordingly the V.D. deals not only with religious aspect of Indian painting, but also, and to a far greater extent, with its secular employment. Prof. Kramrisch remarks : "Painting in ancient India, especially in the Gupta period, was of great importance in the life of the citizens. The interest taken in pictures varied with the education of the spectator. The masters praise the rekhās (रेखा) (delineation and articulation of form), the connoisseurs praise the display of light and shade, women like display of ornaments, to the rest of the public richness of colours appeals". Vātsyāyana's Kāmasūtra is also a brilliant testimoney to the fact that with the rise of cities, the ideals of citizenship and the culture of the citizens also rose to an extent that the artistic culture and refinements were one of the chief characteristics of civilization.