Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v3.c12.11

v3.c12.11

The noble traditions of the art of Ajanta continued for several centuries,² but in the latter half of the sixth century A.D., during the reign of the Chalukyan kings, who, although tolerant to Buddhism in the beginning, professed and enthusiastically patronized the Brahmanical religion, a radical change came in the inner spirit, and the specimens of this period, with a few exceptions,³ are more conventional than spontaneous in character. A large number of frescoes in Caves IX and XVI (Plates XV *b*, LVI *a* and *c*, LVII *a*, and LVIII) representing the Buddha in the teaching attitude, seated on a throne and attended by two *chaurī*-bearers, one on each side, although sometimes conveying a certain religious dignity, by frequent repetition become monotonous, and again such themes betray a lack of freedom and narrowness of vision in artistic effort. The apparent reason for the artists' leaving the wider field of the *Jātakas*, which allowed full opportunity for the display of their artistic fancy and technical skill, was that the ruling class and their attendants, on account of professing a different religion, showed no interest in themes which reflected the glory of Buddhism, while such subjects as gods or kings seated on richly bedecked thrones and accompanied by princely attendants suited the ideas of majesty and grandeur of their own faith. Representations of this class are found in great abundance both in Buddhist and Hindu art from the latter part of the sixth century A.D. onwards, and notable imitations of them may be seen in the murals of Padmanabhapuram in Travancore State, which belong to the eighteenth century or are even later.⁴