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AJANTA FRESCOES*
BY ROBERT ROSS
I54
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(A) " THE QUEISTIONS OF SARIPUTRA ", CAVE XVII, WALL OF ANTECHAMBER,
AJANTA FRESCOES ", PL. XXII (24)
LEFT CORNER.
AJANTA FIRESCOES
PLATE I
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Ajantd Frescoes
mediums, we have valuable though rather sketchy
observations on the history and character of the
Ajanta frescoes. Influenced too perhaps by Pater,
she shocks advanced archaeology by advocating repairs, for copies at least, of the mutilated
antique. Where predecessorshave shown blemishes
"we have thought it advisable for the sake of the
beautyof the composition and of intelligibilityto fill
up the smaller holes." Without any claim myself
to be an archaeologist, I think this was an entire
mistake, though it is eloquently defended by Mr.
Rothenstein. The value of the copies is sacrificedto
the undoubted charm of the colour reproductions.
I believe archaeologistswould support my contention. Very important is the impression recorded
by Lady Herringham that the Ajanta walls-were not so much surfaces to be
decorated as spaces on
which legends might be depicted for the identification of
the devout.
Mr. Rothenstein is making a plea for genre painting though he may not intend it; he makes it
wittily and prettily. The expertarchaeologistmust
decide how far he is justified in finding at Ajanta
illustration for his text. The subjects, we are
reminded elsewhere, have in many instances never
been identified. But on an important question of
fact, irrelevantto aestheticsor painting, the legend
of the Buddha whether historical or fabulous is
the apotheosis of disdain for material things and
neglect of domestic duties-a disdain which is the
common denominator of Buddhism, Christianity,
and Greek philosophy. When Mr. Rothenstein
blithely observesIt is this perfect combination of material and spiritual
energy which marks the great periods of art. At other
times the balance is lost and one or the other is insisted
upon with too marked an emphasis,
'59
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Frescoes
AJant
are
to ask which
periods he considers
you
tempted
the
Whatever
great.
import of Ajanta painting
may be in the history of art it cannot be brought
home to us by invoking mediaevalism. Judaism,
Mahomedanism, and Protestantism may support
the ethics and aesthetics of Mr. Rothenstein;
not early or mediaevalChristianity. While everyone will sympathize with the modern artist
clutching at any human and domestic element
in the Ajantd paintings because rare in monumental and religious art, we cannot be too
cautious about accepting the manifestation on its
face value. Some Japanese Buddhists have, I
think, a principle by which mysterious truths are
presented "under obvious representation suitable
for obtuse minds"; it is called h-3ben. An innocent gentleman cutting his toe-nails, for all the
world like something at the New English Art
Club by Mr. Augustus John, may represent an incarnation of the Great Being; gustation of the
Divine Immanence; or the mystic union of
nameless gods.
The contribution of Mr. F. W. Thomas, if less
amusing, has more weight and more information.
It is an archaeologist,not an art critic, who speaks.
From him we learn that the importance of Ajanta
is, that here alone, excepting the caves at Bagh, in
Maliva, are any considerable remains of fresco
painting. He warns us that--
an account of this delightful and sumptuous publication. In all proper humility I may perhaps
be allowed to record the impression which the
reproductions leave on eyes unequipped by Mr.
Binyon's experience and scholarship, and on a
mind unhouseled like that of Mr. Rothenstein by an
inspection of the originals at Ajanta. The copies
appear to vary in merit, particularly those of the
native assistants. It is easy, however, to pick out
their work from that of Lady Herringham and
Miss Larcher without reference to the table of
I may think some of the copies are
plates.
possibly improvements on the originals, because
they are
I6o
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Aj4antcaFrescoes
of the Buddha is copiedfrom the LateranSophocles
-surely singular among "incunabula " of primitives. When Macaulay's New Zealander comes
to excavate the House of Lords and takes away,
let us say, copies of Blucher meeting Wellington
pages,
pages,
pages,
I,i53
been
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To choose
I61