Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

Author(s): Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya Mumbai
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 866

NEW DOCUMENTS OF JAINA PAINTINGS: 367
In the Mughal period again painting outside the Imperial court took two directions. In the one case, painting developed what is called the Popular Mughal School for the sake of convenience, in which the Mughal elements are simplified to a certain extent while in the second category, to which most of our illustrated manuscripts belong, was created a Folk variety of where the illustrations were cheap and therefore catered to an ever growing clientele. Here naturally the technique had to be very much simplified and the composition gave only the barest elements of the story.
The Jaina Bhandaras have yielded some very interesting material of both the varieties. The earliest dated manuscript which shows an improvement in the indigenous technique under the Mughal influence is that of the Samgrahani-sūtra painted at Matar in Gujarat in 1583 A.D.19 A casual look at the illustrations will convince one that in the matter of costume and in certain elements of composition including the treatment of the animal figures and trees Mughal influence is palpable. However in the use of the monochrome background in which the red, blue and carmine preponderate, in the yellow carnation, in the thickly set features of the women and men, and in the use of Mudrās, the ancient indigenous tradition predominates. One thing however may be noted that in the placement of the figures those which were in parallel rows in the earlier paintings are now recesssed which gives an elementary idea of perspective. This might have been due to the Mughal influence. Naturally in keeping with the subject matter of the Samgrahani-sūtra the paintings merely consist of one to four or five figures. But in some of the paintings may be seen attempts to evolve conventions which played an important part in the Rajasthan paintings. For instance in one painting which depicts the bed-room of a god with attendant figures of women a prototype has been evolved which played a significant part in the future development of Rajasthan painting. In the same way the treatment of the Tree of Leśyas (Colour plate IV, Fig. VI) shows an advance in composition and in the placements of figures engaged in different acts. All this could not have been imagined without the new knowledge. But in the treatment of the dancers and musicians arranged in a single row the older tradition makes itself felt.
The chief interest however of the paintings is the treatment of the trees and animals and birds which though treated singly show a new approach which combines realistic and decorative elements. The water
19 Anand Krishna, op. cit. Marg, Vol. XI, No. 2, pp. 18-21.