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Q1. As a reflection of Indian society, elucidate the relevance of the Ancient Indian paintings. (250 words, 15 Marks)
Approach:
- Introduction: Briefly mention about the Indian ancient painting.
- Body:
- Give some examples of ancient paintings of India.
- Write the relevance of these paintings in understanding society.
- Conclusion: Write the significance of Indian ancient paintings in revealing the nature of the society of the ancient age.
Answer:
Painting is a form of art that gives the painter a way to express their emotions and thoughts through line and colour. From the prehistoric period, painting has been practised in India. Painting as an art form has flourished in India from very early times as is evident from the remains that have been discovered in the caves, and the literary sources which enable people to have a glance into the society of the ancient period.
Examples of Ancient Paintings:
- The Palaeolithic period is divided into three phases: Lower, Middle, and Upper. There have been no paintings found from the lower or middle Palaeolithic period yet, but in the Upper Palaeolithic period, there have been a number of artistic manifestations.
- Remnants of rock paintings in India have been found on the walls of caves situated in the Northern states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Southern state of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka.
- Some examples of early rock painting sites are Lakhudiyar in Uttarakhand, Piklihal and Tekkalkotta in Karnataka, Kupgallu in Telangana Bhimbetka, and Jogimara in Madhya Pradesh, etc.
- The two magnificent sites of prehistoric paintings in India: Bhimbetka Caves are located in the Foothills of Vindhya, Madhya Pradesh and Jogimara caves in Amarnath, Madhya Pradesh.
- In Bhimbetka, 20 layers of paintings are found, one on top of another.
Relevance of Painting in Understanding Society:
Until prehistoric sites began to be excavated, scholars had difficulty imagining how Prehistoric society was fabricated.
- Painting and drawing were the earliest art forms used by humans to express themselves with cave walls as their canvas.
- Early works focus on simplistic human features, their daily activities, generic and crude geometric shapes, and symbols.
- Paintings found are divided into three categories: man, animal, and geometric symbols.
- General features of prehistoric paintings (from the study of Bhimbetka paintings): Use of various colours, including white, yellow, brown, orange, red ochre, purple, green, and black but white and red seemed to be the favourite.
- The paints were made by grinding various coloured rocks. Red colour extracted from hematite (Geru in India). Brushes are made from plant fibre. This depicts the appreciation of the arts and crafts that were present in society.
- The paintings are primitive records of wild animals. The paintings depict war processions which means the society was divided into groups and they fought amongst themselves.
- Paintings on hunting scenes signify the presence of hunting for food gathering. Group hunting was also drawn in some places.
- Community dances were depicted through paintings which also depicted the liberal and unified outlook of the society.
The pictures are crudely but most realistically drawn. Writing was not invented hence these paintings were used as the main language for communication and these are vital to understanding the nature of society and various practices that were carried out at the time. These cultural tools have played a crucial role in fostering ties between members of various religions, sects, and geographical locations and improving intercultural understanding in society.
