Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v1.c5.s19.2

v1.c5.s19.2

THIS fresco does not seem to have been completed, for many of the figures show only the reddish outlines or the first light washes of colour. Again, as it is badly damaged it is difficult to interpret properly the story delineated therein. Commencing from the left side, we notice a Nāga king with two hermits, one of whom is receiving a gift from the king. The drawing of the figure of this hermit shows great skill. A little to the right of this is another scene representing a king sitting on a throne. There are also two attendants and four elephants with pink skins. The treatment of the heads and trunks of the elephants is very realistic, and the different poses of their bodies show play of fancy. Below these four elephants two young ones are painted, the skins of which are white. Farther to the right we notice a big cavalcade, including infantry, horsemen, and elephant-riders, like an army on the march. The trunks of the elephants in this scene also are painted with great care, and the treatment of their legs indicates rapid movement.