The Manuscript Painting Tradition Notes in English Class 12 Fine Art Chapter-1 Book-1

General Overview

The Vishnudharmottara Purana, a 5th-century text, contains a chapter called Chitrasutra in its third Khanda. It serves as a foundational source book on Indian art, particularly painting. The text discusses the canons of image-making known as Pratima Lakshana, which outline the essential principles and guidelines for creating images in Indian artistic traditions.

Topics Covered in Chitrasutra

Traditional painting involved specific techniques using various tools and materials. Artists painted on different surfaces, including walls. They followed detailed concepts of perception and perspective to create depth, especially in rendering three-dimensional human figures. These practices reflected a deep understanding of visual representation in Indian art.

Six Main Limbs (Shadangas) of Painting

• Roopbheda – Looks and appearance

• Pramana – Measurements, proportion, and structure

• Bhava – Emotions and expressions

• Lavanya Yojana – Aesthetic composition and beauty

• Sadrishya – Resemblance or likeness

• Varnikabhanga – Use of brush and colors

• Each has many sub-sections and was followed by artists for centuries.

Miniature Paintings (Medieval Period)

Small-sized paintings, viewed closely

Not meant for wall display

Often found in manuscripts with verses on top or back

Paintings + text = manuscript illustrations

Manuscript Illustrations

Paintings were often created as thematic sets based on texts like the Ramayana, Mahabharata, or Gita Govinda. Each set consisted of several folios (loose pages) stored in bundles. Text was usually written either on the top of the painting in a box-like space or on the back of the folio. The final page, known as the colophon, provided details about the artist, patron, place, date, and scribe. However, many of these colophons are now missing, making identification difficult.

Why Paintings Travelled

Paintings were portable and fragile, often given as dowry gifts, used in royal exchanges, or traded. They were carried by monks, pilgrims, storytellers, and traders, leading to their movement across regions. As a result, artworks from one area were found in another—for example, a Mewar painting discovered in Bundi, and vice versa.

Challenges in Reconstructing Painting History

Many painting sets are undated, with only a few having known dates. This creates chronological gaps, making it difficult to determine what was painted in between. Loose folios are scattered across museums and private collections, adding to the challenge. As new discoveries emerge, art history timelines often shift. Scholars rely on stylistic analysis and circumstantial evidence to date these undated sets.

Western Indian School of Painting

Origin and Growth

The Western Indian School of Painting grew mainly in Gujarat, parts of Rajasthan, and Western Central India. Thanks to Gujarat’s thriving trade ports, the region became rich, and traders, merchants, and local rulers became patrons of art.

Jain Community as Patrons

The Jain merchant class emerged as major patrons of painting, especially for religious purposes. They supported Jain-themed artworks and manuscript illustrations. A common practice called Shaastradaan—the donation of books—encouraged the gifting of illustrated manuscripts to temples and libraries (bhandars) as acts of charity and devotion.

Important Jain Texts in Painting

1. Kalpasutra

• Most illustrated Jain text.

• Covers life events of the 24 Tirthankaras – conception, birth, renunciation, enlightenment, first sermon, and salvation.

2. Kalakacharyakatha

• Story of Acharya Kalaka, who tries to rescue his kidnapped sister.

• Filled with action, magic, alliances, and battles.

3. Uttaradhyana Sutra

• Contains teachings of Lord Mahavir.

• Guides monks on ethical living.

4. Sangrahini Sutra

• A 12th-century cosmological text describing the universe.

• Jain Manuscripts: Format & Style

Jain texts were frequently copied and illustrated, with pages having central holes to tie them with string and protect them using wooden covers called patlis. Early manuscripts were made on palm leaves, later replaced by paper in the 14th century. Paintings were created in narrow spaces, often within patlis, using bright colors and depicting Jain religious themes.

Features of Jain Painting Style

Jain paintings often used divided compositions to depict multiple events in a single frame. They featured bright colors, fine lines, and sometimes a third eye to suggest 3D facial depth. Architectural elements like domes and arches showed Sultanate influence. Scenes also reflected daily life through textiles, furniture, and costumes, while landscapes were symbolic rather than realistic.

Golden Age: 1350–1450 CE

Jain paintings evolved into rich and detailed visuals, with margins often featuring musicians, dancers, and natural elements. The use of gold and lapis lazuli highlighted the wealth and generosity of the patrons who commissioned them.

Beyond Religious Texts

In addition to religious manuscripts, Jains also created paintings of Tirthipatas (sacred pilgrimage maps), Mandalas (spiritual diagrams), as well as secular and folk stories, reflecting a diverse range of artistic themes beyond religious devotion.

Pre-Mughal or Indigenous Painting Style

Before the emergence of Rajasthani court painting, a strong indigenous style flourished, focusing on Hindu and Jain themes like the Mahapurana, Gita Govinda, and Mahabharata. Known as the pre-Mughal or pre-Rajasthani style, it featured figures with transparent odhnis, stiff drapes, stylized flora, fauna, and architecture. Standardized patterns were used for water and horizons. These elements later influenced Rajasthani miniature paintings.

Sultanate Influence & Fusion Style

After the 12th century, with parts of India under Sultanate rule and the arrival of Persian and Central Asian artists, a new hybrid style emerged. It combined Persian elements like vivid colors, facial features, and decorative scenes with Indian traditions. This fusion is known as the Sultanate School of Painting, more a stylistic blend than a formal school.

Nimatnama – A Highlight of the Sultanate School

Painted in Mandu under Nasir Shah Khalji (1500–1510 CE), this manuscript is a recipe book that also features hunting stories, medicinal preparations, cosmetics, and perfumes. It blends elements of Sufi storytelling with scenes from everyday court life.

Laurchanda Paintings

Another example of Sufi-influenced storytelling in art, this work reflects a rich blend of religion, romance, and mysticism, capturing the spiritual and emotional depth of the Sufi tradition. 

Pala School of Painting 

The illustrated manuscripts of the Pala dynasty (750 CE to mid-12th century) are among the earliest examples of Indian painting, especially from eastern India. The Palas supported the last major phase of Buddhist art, with monasteries like Nalanda and Vikramsila becoming key centers of learning and art. Manuscripts on palm leaves, featuring Vajrayana Buddhist deities, were richly illustrated, and bronze images were also crafted. Students from Southeast Asia took these artworks back to Nepal, Tibet, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Java, spreading Pala art. Pala paintings are known for their flowing lines and soft color tones, unlike the sharp lines of Jain paintings. A famous manuscript from this period is the Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita, painted during King Ramapala’s reign at Nalanda. The decline of the Palas and the invasion by Muslim rulers in the 13th century led to the destruction of these monasteries and the end of Pala art.