History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c20.s3.t3.1

v1.c20.s3.t3.1

According to mythological sources it is believed that the principle of art painting was produced in the days of yore by the great sage Nārāyaṇa for the benefit of the world when he created the celestial nymph Urvaśī. The great sage used mango juice to create the beautiful nymph by drawing with it her picture on his thigh. From this painting Urvaśī emerged as a lovely maiden. Thus the first picture of painting was created with mango juice as the colouring material. Through this beautiful picture the sage Nārāyaṇa imparted the principles of perfect portrayal through different colours to Viśvakarma (Vi. Pu, Citrasūtra, 35, 1-5).