Mural Painting in India

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Mural painting is one of the major ancient art forms of India found in the remotest book and corner of the country in both religious and secular structures, whether mansions or small buildings. In the art there are regional historical and stylistic variations. Except for the records maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India in respect of Protected Monuments of National Importance, the art embellishing other structures is only sporadically or partially reported and even so the information is scattered. The history of the technique of the paintings is known even less in both learned and aesthetic circles. Lay and expert readers have to sift through a large volume of literature to get information in general and on individual buildings. The author who had a long tenure in the Archaeological Survey of India became aware of the need of a classified compendium of ancient mural art of India that has survived in protected monuments and unprotected or privately owned structures. The volume presented has been written to fill a void in the existing literature on this subject of the highest importance in art, art history and archaeological fields. The scientific pursuits of the author have been an additional asset to the work in that the data collected includes technical details of the murals such as information on carriers, plasters that received the colours, pigments, disfiguring factors. State of preservation of the paintings and environmental effects besides artistic and historical data which is naturally an essential part of the directory comprising several chapters. The author has illustrated the work with a large number of photographs which have been so selected as the present the spirit of the paintings. Central to this selection is also the intention to show the state of preservation of areas where the paintings have undergone some deterioration on account of varied factors. The publishers who have taken up the aim of dissemination of the various facets of Indian art hope the book written out as it is by an expert in the field which would prove very valuable and informative. Its contents are divided into parts. Even as new discoveries of ancient mural paintings continue to be made off and on, the catalogue of mural had been made as comprehensive as possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR J.C. Nagpall

Mr. J.C. Nagpall was a member of the Archaeological Survey of India for a long period and for some year was its Chief Archeological Chemist. He trained in Musee du Louvre in Rest oration of Paintings and Conservation of cultural property. During his 30 years service he made many contributions to scientific and technical journals on his investigations on deterioration of objects of art and on methods of their conservation. A comprehensive study on the state of preservation of Ajanta murals and the line of their conservation made by him was published in India. the technique, history and preservatiion of the new famous wall paintings in the TABO Monastery in the spiti Valley called for much of his efforts in several years of pioneering work. He hald advisory of chemical treatment of the murals in Bamlyan, Afghanistan and in Kathmandu, Nepal. the author lays the credit for writing of this book on the close, long and practical association he had with the manysided pronmes he met with when engaged on the expensive and wide spread munal paintings of India.