Keywords: 2006AY0603 jpg lajanta Gill.jpg en Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta cave 1 ; Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta by Robert Gill V A Museum as IS 55-1885 White patches are over sections in need of conservation Original dates to the 470s V A page says Height 2305 mm Width 2740 mm Height 2350 mm with frame Width 2770 mm with frame Depth 40 mm with frame Object history note Commissioned by the Government of India between 1844-1863 and deposited in the India Museum London Historical significance The paintings inside the Ajanta caves tell stories from the lives of the Buddha The main part of this painting depicts scenes from the Janaka jataka The narrative continues onto painting IS 53-1885 Narrative King Janaka of Videha is seen sitting in his palace with his wife He announces to her that he intends to renounce his worldly life Scene depicted in the centre of IS 55-1885 In order to persuade him against this course she organises a music and dance performance Scene depicted in left hand side of IS 53-1885 Despite the pleasure of viewing the dancers the king confirms his decision to live alone According to Schlingloff he is persuaded to do this by the sight of women preparing cotton as the two bangles that one of them is wearing clash together and resound whereas the single bangle of the other women remains silent Scene depicted in bottom centre of IS 55-1885 The king renounces his kingdom and rides out through the city gates on his elephant accompanied by a retinue which includes his son Scene depicted in the centre of IS 53-1885 Once they have left the city the king and his retinue visit a hermit in the mountains and listen to his sermons Here the hermit reassures him that only a life of solitude can lead to salvation Scene depicted in the top right hand corner of IS 53-1885 In the top left hand corner is a scene from the Sankhapala jataka A Bodhisattva having witnessed the splendour of the Naga king wished to be reborn into the Naga kingdom In his next birth he was born as the Naga king Sankhapala He soon grew weary of the good life and as a penance for his desires he lay on an ant hill and offered his body to passers by A party of men found him they tied a rope around him and as they dragged him along Sanhkapala did not resist A kind-hearted cattle dealer who saw what was happening and offered the men some of his cows in exchange for the serpent Scene depicted in top left hand corner The grateful Sankhapala took the cattle dealer to his splendid palace under the lotus-lake where he stayed for a year after which he decided to become an ascetic 2012-10-24 22 51 10 http //collections vam ac uk/item/O115446/copy-of-painting-inside-the-oil-painting-gill-robert/ Robert Gill 2006AY0603 jpg lajanta Gill cropped jpg PD-Art Uploaded with UploadWizard Cave 1 Ajanta Rock paintings of people in the Ajanta Caves Art of India in the Victoria and Albert Museum Robert Gill |