The Theory of Citrasutras in Indian Painting
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/e9abaa19Keywords:
Indian Art, Nardi’s study etc.Abstract
The study of technical treatises in Indian art has piqued the curiosity of many scholars in recent years. This study proposes a critical re-examination of the core Indian notions of painting as detailed in the Sanskrit treatises known as citrasutras, which are considered to be the foundation of Indian painting. It critically explores the various ways in which the books on the theory of Indian painting have been understood and employed in the study of Indian painting, and it proposes a new approach to reading and understanding their notions through an in-depth and systematic investigation of the texts. To the contrary of prior publications on the subject, it is asserted that the planned use of such texts as a standard of critique generally failed because there was an incorrect understanding of what "text" meant for Indian painters. Using the experiences of painters, who are considered to be a valid source of knowledge for our understanding of the citrasutras, Isabella Nardi develops a novel approach to research in this field. She also develops a new conceptual framework for understanding the interconnections between textual sources and the practise of Indian painting. Nardi's work will be of interest to anyone who are interested in Indian painting or Indian art in general because it fills a critical vacuum in Indian academia.
Downloads
References
1. Shukla, D.N. (1956) Pratima Vigyan, Lakhnau: Vastu Vangamaya Prakashan Sala —— (1957) Hindu Canons of Painting or Citra-Laksanam, Lucknow: Vastu Vangamaya Prakashan
2. Sala Singh Kang, K. (1985) Wall Paintings of Punjab and Haryana, Delhi: Atma Ram and Sons
3. Sivaramamurti, C. (1934) ‘Artist’s jotting from the Nalacampu of Trivikrama’, Journal of Oriental Research, VIII: 217–234
4. Smith, J.D. (1991) The Epic of Pabuji, Cambridge: CUP Smith, V.A. (1930) A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon, 2nd edn, Oxford: Clarendon Press Sompura,
5. P.P.O. (1976) Pratima Kalanidhi: Album of Hindu Iconography, Ahmedabad: Sva. Shri Balavantaray Prabhashankar Sompura Sternbach, L. (1974) Subhasita, Gnomic and Didactic Literature, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz
6. Sthapati, V.G. (2002) Indian Sculpture and Iconography: Forms and Measurements, Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Society and Mapin
7. Tagore, A. (1968) Some Notes on Indian Artistic Anatomy and Sadanga or the Six Limbs of Painting, Calcutta: Indian Society of Oriental Art
8. Talwar, K. and Krishna, K. (1979) Indian Pigment Paintings on Cloth, Ahmedabad: Calico Museum of Textiles
9. Tripathi, R. (1983) Shri Mammatacaryakrtah Kavya Prakashah, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas
10. Varma, G.K. (1940) ‘Vajralepa and wood-preservation’, The Journal of Oriental Research Madras, XIV: 10–16
11. Vatsyayan, K. (1983) The Square and the Circle of Indian Arts, New Jersey: Humanities Press
12. Vaudeville, C. (1996) Myths, Saints and Legends in Medieval India, Delhi and Oxford: OUP
13. Vinaysagar, S. (ed.) (1999) Mandan Sutradhar’s Devata-Murti-Prakaranam (with Hindi– English Translations), Jaipur: Prakrit Bharati Academy
14. Welch, S.C. (1997) India: Art and Culture 1300–1900, New York: Mapin
15. Williams, J. (1988) ‘Criticizing and evaluating the visual arts in India: a preliminary example’, The Journal of Asian Studies, 47, 1: 3–28
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
