Inspired by India

“Painting is the best of all arts, conducive to dharma, pleasure, wealth and emancipation. It gives the greatest pleasure when placed in a house”

Vishnudharmottara Ch. 43, V 38

Hans's recent trip to India has proved to be a great inspiration in his painting not only in subject matter but also in style. His India travels included a visit to the Ajanta Caves, a World Heritage site dating from the 2nd century BC to the 6th century AD. These man-made caves contain some simply stunning Buddhist paintings and sculptures and are one of the few and best examples remaining today of a painting style that developed in India and travelled with the spread of Buddhism.

After returning to England reading further about the Ajanta Caves led Hans to discover the Vishnudharmottara, a treatise on Indian painting and image making compiled in the 7th century. It gives an account of the various branches, methods and ideals of painting and deals with both religious and secular aspects.
 
Although the Vishnudharmottara was written by the time most of the paintings in Ajanta were completed. It is said that it refers to earlier treatises and summarises everything that has been learned about painting by that time. The art of painting as in the Vishnudharmottara was then exported from India into South East Asia, China and Japan and mixed with local cultures. Japanese painting came to Paris in the 1850's on Japanese soap wrappers which were then collected by French painters who used the ideas in what is now called Impressionism.

Hans commented that after his discovery of this treatise it felt like it had justified the way he is now happiest painting with its emphasis on the line and the use of tempera.

To see more paintings inspired by Hans's recent India travels visit the India Inspired Gallery.

Stella Kramrisch's English translation of the Vishnudharmottara as published by Calcutta University Press in 1928 is available as a free download from the Internet Archive Universal Library. This is most easily found by following the direct link from the Wikipedia article on theVishnudharmottara Purana.