Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c78.s2.57

v2.c78.s2.57

The surface prepared, the artist has to visualise the picture he was going to paint. What Bāṇa calls it Saṁkalpalekha, which is what Kālidāṣa has called Bhāvagamyacitra. Then come the general proportions---the Sūtrapātalekh—called by Bāṇa (Āambhasūtrapātalekha) (16). ‘These sūtras or lines ‘like Brahmsūtra, Pakṣasūtra and Bahissutra vary and fall at particular points on the canvas cutting particular parts of the from according as the sthāna or pose is front, profile or three-quarter-view and so forth’-Śivarāmamurti. Thus we are convinced how Bāṇā was perfectly conversont with the technical language of the artists. The word Citronmilana (17) (cf. Kalidāsa’s. उन्मीलित etc. used by Bāṇa convinces us of the unbroken tradition of the high skill of our artists in the ptctorial art. When the artist simply infuses life in to the picture, what is called ‘unmilan’ it becoms our object of highest admiration.