Indian Painting B.A. II

1. Indian PaintingB.A. II Dr. O. P. Parameswaran, Assistant Professor, Department of Fine Arts, Post Graduate Govt. College for Girls, Sector-11, Chandigarh.

2. Unit-II: History of Indian Sculpture (BA-3) • 2.Mahabalipuram • 2.1 Mahishasuramardini from Mahabalipuram

4. Introduction: • The successor of the Andhras in South India were the Pallavas. • During the rein of the great Narasimha Varman I (c.630) the seaside emporium in Mahabalipuram began to flower as a great artistic centre. • The very name of the site perpetuates the ruler’s fame, for Narsimha Varman I was also called the ‘Great wrestler’, Mamalla. • Today the name has been corrupted into Mahabalipuram (Town of the Great Demon King Bali).

5. Some of the Pallava’s greatest art works at Mahabalipuram, begun in the middle of the 7th century and continuing for about two generations into the 8th century, are cave temples and gigantic open-air relief’s carved into the whale-back outcroppings of granite that spin this strip of coastal land.

6. Sculptural Relief:Mahishasuramardini • Among the rock cut temples at Mamallapuram, the Mahisasura Mandapa deserves all its due attention for their sculptural reliefs. • A large panel showing Durga as Mahisasuramardini occupies the whole of the wall at the northern end of the cave. • It shows the most famous exploit of the unconquerable goddess in the mardini (crushing) of the buffalo (mahisha) demon (asura), thus rescuing the world from his tyranny.

7. The plucking young warrior goddess astride on her fierce lion mount, attacks the wily-looking buffalo demon, much bigger than herself and stronger than all the gods. • In the scene the outcome of the battle hangs in the balance. • The demon stands ready to strike with his great iron club, as he eyes his opponent waiting for the opportune moment

8. The umbrella of universal rule still hangs over his giant body and he retains his crown. • It seems an uneven battle with the slender diminutive goddess playfully shooting her arrows over the demon’s head and not even looking at him as she advances with drawn sword and other weapons in her eight arms. • Only the ferocity of her attendants, while the demon’s followers cringe and flee, indicate the outcome of the battle.

9. With discreet restraint the artist shows the superiority of courage and trust in a higher power, as she looks upwards, over cunning and brute strength. • Stylistic features of the work: • Pallava sculptures retain the same elongated, slender, pliant and graceful forms seen at Amaravati but the figures have become more sublime and disciplined. • The Pallava laid greater stress on natural simplicity, which gives their carvings an immediate charm.

10. They do not rely on subtleties such as deep mysterious caves with strong play of light and shade as in the Ellora sculpture of the same period. • Everything is clear and open in these Pallava carvings on the face of rocks and shallow cavities. • Pallava artist had a special gift for hinting at the significance of their themes by means of overtones

11. They never represented their subjects in dramatically decisive scenes. • The human and divine figures produced by the artist of the Pallava dynasty show an impersonal, dignified reserves verging on aloofness. • Their long, thin, almost tubular limbs make them look even taller.

12. The female figures usually lean on their tall, broad shouldered partner and look very submissive, whether they human or goddesses. • They are much slighter, with narrow chest and shoulders, and very slender waists. • Both their ornaments and clothing are scant.