Sometime back, Prof.Swami answered some of my questions on Indian paintings. I'd asked one specific qn. about tanjore paintings as well. As many of you know, he is an authority on Indian paintings. Here's the dialogue - for the benefit of all
Gokul's Question: If painting had attained such a high profile treatment in the north, why we don't see any comparable specimens in south india? As far as I know, we have Tanjore wall paintings, sittannavasal and may be few more but nothing comparable to Ajantha...Have they been lost over time or did we not venture out at such lengths at all?
Prof answer: Ajanta is the earliest specimen of Indian painting, religious or secular. One may say it is followed by Bagh paintings of MP, Sittannavasal, Kailasanatha Temple of Kanchipuran, paintings at Panamalai, paintings in Brihadiswara temple etc, in this order in terms of chronology. All these are mature and great art. One may say Ajanta is the basic fountain head which the entire Indian painting, and also the entire Asian religious paintings, followed. Another important aspect of Ajanta is that the paintings there are very extensive. Originally all the 29 caves where painted, all parts of the caves except the floor. Even the size of the caves is large, For example many cave are more than 60 length, 60 feat wide and 15 feet high. Comparatively, the paintings we have in Tamilnadu are less in quantity. In some places, like Panamalai, only fragmentary.
Gokul's Question - If they had used herbal combinations to produce such paintings, they should have had some school which taught these methodologies? Do we find any evidence to such schools? Prof Answer: Let me make this point clear. The pigments used in Ajanta are supposed to be minerals excepting lampblack which is organic. On the other hand Sittannavasal paintings are made of plant substances. It is a pity that we have no research done on this aspect.
We have only to go back to epigraphical and literary evidences to understand about period. To the best of knowledge artistic expressions of the Ajanta, Sittannavasal type had not been through any organised schools. I would believe that there were artisans who practised such artistic professions as a family vocation. How was the communication between such families across the country is something I always wonder about. Further how such communities could be dynamic enough to experiment and innovate is another point I have no clue. I wish youngsters like your group take up such basic questions to attempt to get answers.
What I am saying is that we have not much of information on how arts developed, sustained and progressed in the past in India.
Gokul's Question: What is your impression on Tanjore paintings and how would you compare them with that of Ajantha?
Prof answer: To answer this question I should know how do you compare two systems separated by centuries. Second is art appreciation is subjective. It depends on one's taste and experience. There is nothing like one better than the other, in my opinion. In the historical point of view one may simply say that the Ajanta tradition is a classical expression and that the Tanjavur paintings belong to the later baroque periods. I don't know whether I have made myself clear. (Sometimes medium of writing is inadequate to express such ideas. We may talk, better.) But you may notice the essential difference as I point out below. The Ajanta characters are lithe and endowed with classical proportions. They are very expressive. On the other hand the Tanjavur ones are not expressive, rather opulent, fat and heavily ornamented. What would you like is your business.
Gokul's Question: Like sculptures, were there different schools of art ?
Prof answer: I have answered this before.
Gokul's Question: Were buddhist groups more versatile in these painting techniques than others of that age? If so, how?
Prof Answer: There was a system of monastery among the Buddhists. The kind of training that they got and the strict regimen they followed all contributed to concentrating on certain essential features. Painting is one. For that matter Zen, Shyku, Vipassana, etc came out of this feature. They also took certain artistic expression like sculpture and painting in similar way. For example, chaaturmasya stay, that is staying in a single place during the 4 months of rains, contributed to their building viharas and chaitya, which in turn resulted in great architectural and artistic accomplishments, I think.
Gokul concluded: More questions will follow, after you begin the series on ajantha.
I am writing this following Gokul' s mail on Paintings refering to my 'dialogue' with him on this topic sometime ago.
To a question regarding the pigments used in Sittannnavasal I had written that the pigements are thought to be plant substance. I had written in reply to some other member of PS that it is mineral in content. I would like to clear a point here.
In Sittannavasal a board kept at the monument says that the colours are organic, that is extracted from plants. The guide also says the same. He would even point out a shrub there called 'kurangu maruthaaNi' and also show the maroon colour stain the leaf-squeeze leaves on your palm. But all book that I have read say that the pigments are all minerals as they were in Ajanta. So towards the end of the answer i had mentioned that 'It is a pity that we have no research done on this aspect'. In fact it is well known that mineral pigments would not fade over time whereas organic colours will decay.
If there are any clarifications necessary on this point I woulkd be very happy to attemp.
The second point when Gokul questioned: What is your impression on Tanjore paintings and how would you compare them with that of Ajantha?
My answers were meant to apply to the Tanjavur paintings as it is known to day, and not of the paintings on the waals of Brihadiswara Temple. I think it would clear the situation.
The Brihadiswara paintings are truly the Ajanta descendant, lyrical, dynamic and expressive.
That the paintings were 'not expressive, rather opulent, fat and heavily ornamented' relates to the Thanjavur (very close to Mysore paintings), which came into vogue much later, in the last few centuries.
With respect to Raajarajeswaram paintings - I think the mistake is mine. I'd simply mentioned "Tanjore paintings" instead of being more specific. Infact, what I meant was only Tanjore periya koil paintings ! I was slightly confused with your answer - but did not proceed at that point of time. Thanks for setting things right.
Few more questions : I've heard that Ajantha paintings are luminous and some of them can glow even without much light. Is that true ? (I've not visited ajantha as yet). If so, with what kind minerals was this made possible ? Were we able to do some chemical analysis on the types of minerals used for those paintings ?
How about tanjore temple painting colours ? Were they of organic or based on minerals and rocks ?