The comparative analysis of form and composition, line and colour, technique and treatment of the depiction of the animal (elephant) in each phase in its development in Indian art, have been tried to deal here with special care and minute observation, using appropriate literary references and ample supporting pictorial documents of actual specimens of different Schools and Centres of the country. This gives a clear idea of the symbol and character, philosophy and myth, religious associations and meaning of elephant's representation in Indian Painting, caring of the artistic values.
There are at least two species left out of the 350 species of elephant that once roamed on this planet. One African species (Loxodonta Africana) lives mostly in the open Savanna of Africa and the other Asian species (Elephas Maximus) are found in the south-eastern belt of the globe. Thus it was from Asia and Africa,that the Proboscidians (- the proboscis, or trunk) began to wander globally. As a Hindu religious symbol, the elephant is highly favored.In India, which is surprisingly rich in culture, a vast number of myths and legends are interwoven around the elephant. This fascinating subject is a vast one not easily to be compressed into few pages. The main objective of this book is to present a total view of the development of the Elephant form in Indian Painting with its different connotation, caring of the artistic values and have tried to establish me thodically and logically the historical, technical and its aesthetic values as well. All the previous studies on Elephant have been done on its significance in Plastic Art, but not in Painting. In this book, I have focused on how this Elephant form gradually developed in the Pictorial Art from the remote Pre-historic period to the Rajasthani style of medieval period, according to the geography and style of the main schools.
"Painting, is the best of all arts, and is conductive to dharma (right conduct) and moksha (emancipation)." The awareness of the Indian mind about the world of the animal and plants, inspired him to watch many of them closely, and when brought into use, they revealed the mystery of the strength and power, nobility and usefulness inherent in the genre. In this range, four particular animals appear to have received a very deep and mentionable comprehension, namely the bull, the elephant, the horse and the lion. Of these, the elephant happens to be a phenomenon of primordial nature known, studied, tracked and affectionate appraisal by the Indian psyche from ancient times, having been drawn into mystic association, first with Indra and then with Vedic and Puranic background.
The English word 'elephant' comes from the Sanskrit Ibha, through the Arabic "al pha or from the Indro- Iranian 'pil' through the Arabic al-fil. The proboscis or trunk of the elephant, gives the name PROBOSCIDEA, to this order of mammals.
Due to the physiological difference, there are two species of the elephants in existence-i. e. Asiatic elephant (Elephas Maximus) and the African elephant (Loxodonta Africana).
Asiatic elephants are found in the north-west and south west of Indin, Srilanka, Myanmar, China, Sumatra and Borneo. The latter is distinguished for its great size, enormous ears, lower forehead, and large tusks and especially for their character of grinding teeth. Elephants are the sole survivors of a great assemblage of species which once inhabited on the Earth. No fewer than seven species of elephants and eight different Mastodons are known to have existed in India, during remote geological periods.Indian artists had fascination for the elephant since the remote pre historic ages. By second century B.C., this animal form came to signify a symbolic metaphor in art, as well as in painting.
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