Buddhist Paintings

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The Heritage of Buddhist Paintings

“Nations are made by artists and poets, not by traders and politicians. Art contains in itself the deepest principles of life, the truest guide to the greatest art - the art of living”..........

                                                                                                                   Ananda Coomaraswamy

Paintings of the Sinhala People

Paintings, sculpture, architecture, and other forms of fine arts were used profusely in Sri Lanka, from very early times to express Buddhist ideas and sentiment. The exceptionally rich heritage of visual arts of the Sinhala people of Sri Lanka extends to a period that exceeds 2300 years, from the 3rd century BCE to the 21st CE. (Sinhala is the dominant community of Sri Lanka from historic times). Paintings form a dominant component of this heritage. A spectacular collection of ancient sculpture and architecture further adorns the island’s culture. They are conspicuous elements of the island’s Buddhist culture.

Buddhism, which was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE, was the primary source of inspiration and influence for artists, sculptors and architects of the country. The life of the Buddha, Jataka Tales based on former lives of the Buddha, and the teachings of the Buddha were the predominant themes of ancient artistic pursuits including paintings.

The classical style of Sinhala art is naturalistic, exemplifying a transformation of nature by imaginative contemplation. Paintings show a highly tasteful use of a variety of colours and a skilful depiction of facial expressions of the figures.

Ancient secular paintings are also characterized by a strong spiritual predisposition, and are of great aesthetic appeal. Most are considered as masterpieces of human creative ingenuity and imagination. The outstanding quality of these ancient paintings was a determining factor in the identification of World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka by the UNESCO.

According to the UNESCO, 1037 Buddhist temples with paintings older than a 100 years, have been discovered in Sri Lanka.

Art Traditions and Themes

The evolution of different art traditions reflects a subtle blending of several styles, techniques and approaches, unique to Sri Lanka. A fascinating array of symbols and symbolic expressions are used in these artistic pursuits.

Themes of most paintings are based on the life and teachings of the Buddha and on Jataka tales or tales of previous lives of the Buddha. In particular, paintings of the Classical period reveal the great adoration the artists had towards the Buddha, and the strong inspiration drawn from the Buddha’s life and teachings. Simplicity, clarity and above all, restraint in composition and expression are characteristic features of all ancient Sinhala art inspired by Buddhism. Paintings with secular themes are indicative of socio-cultural characteristics of the period.

Spiritual Component of Buddhist Paintings

It is common observation that most Buddhists visiting Buddhist shrines, even ancient historic sites with masterpieces of Buddhist paintings, rarely take time to have a closer look at the paintings. The normal practice is to place flowers in front of Buddha images, recite ‘gathas’ for varying periods of time, and walk away from the shrine room. Few, if at all, realize the incredible spiritual fulfillment one could derive by paying more closer attention to what is found often most strikingly, on the walls and other surfaces of Buddhist shrines.

Most Buddhist paintings when examined closely, with patience and care, have a strong impact on ones inner spirit. They often help to generate calm and peaceful feelings. Judging from such inner transformations, one realizes that some of these paintings are not artistic products done merely for the sake of art. There is something more to them. They are reflective of the deeper thoughts and emotions of the artist, generated by the overflowing inspiration derived from the themes of the artistic pursuit. The primary focus of these themes is the Buddha and his teachings, the various incidences of the life of the great person and the fathomless depth of his teachings. Most Buddhist artistic creations are symbolic of such deep forms of inspiration. They are reactions to the spiritual surges that the artist has experienced through the veneration of the Buddha. They are reactions to the awakening that he has been able to experience through the Dhamma or the teachings of the Buddha. They reflect the extent to which the artist’s mind has been overtaken by feelings of compassion and equanimity.

The powers of the faculty of sight are often taken for granted and are not fully made use of by most people, for purposes of inner growth and spiritual awakening or enrichment. It appears that ancient Buddhists have made good use of the power of the faculty of sight to attain Buddhist objectives such as calming ones mind and bringing about a sense of inner peace and joy. The power of the faculty of sight is a dominant force and often forms the basis of not only artistic creativity, but also of the appreciation of art and inspiration drawn from art. It greatly facilitated the development of mindfulness or attentiveness- “samma sati”.

Ancient works of Buddhist art transcends artistic and aesthetic appreciation and appeal, to something higher and deeper. They have the effect of awakening and enlightening, taking one onto a spiritual realm with deep feelings of compassion or ‘maithree’ and equanimity, a realm where mental tranquility prevails. When one is patiently engrossed in classical Buddhist paintings, one finds that they leap off rock and wall surfaces and into your inner-self, transforming your mind to a state of innocence and overflowing compassion, joy and peacefulness. According to the Buddha’s teachings, developing tranquility of mind is fundamental to the development of wisdom.

World Heritage Sites   

The large majority of Buddhist paintings are found in Buddhist Vihara (shrines or temples) and monasteries, the best known are located in the ancient cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Sigiriya, and Mahanuwara (Kandy). These five historic sites have been designated by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, owing to their artistic treasures, which are considered masterpieces of human creative genius. 
 

                                                                                                                                                  The World Heritage Logo

Several Surfaces and Layers

Paintings were done on several surfaces - rock, wall, ceiling, sculpture, other structures within buildings including wooden building fixtures such as doors, ceilings, and pillars, textile, earthenware and pottery. Statues and associated structures within buildings were painted vibrantly. Among the oldest paintings are those on rock surfaces in caves, and in relic chambers inside dagabos (stupa or pagoda). Paintings on wooden surfaces are found mostly on ceilings and doors of Buddhist shrines, ola manuscript covers, screens, boxes used to store sacred objects. In Godapitiya Raja Maha Vihare and Kadurugahamaditta Gangarama vihare are two large wooden boxes with the Dhahamsonda Jataka painted on both. There are numerous literary references to the practice of painting on cloth in Sri Lanka, from as early as the second century BC to the nineteenth century. Cloth paintings are known as “pethikada”. They provide magnificent examples of the Mahanuwara style of paintings. Dambawa vihare in the Matale district and Araththana vihare Vishnu Devale in Hanguranketa possess some exquisite pethikada paintings.

In the past, during temple restorations, new paintings were drawn on plaster applied over old paintings. Wall peelings in most old temples have revealed two or more underlying layers of ancient paintings.

  Hidden Paintings and Reproductions

The relic chambers and surfaces inside ancient dagabos were lavishly decorated with paintings in ancient times. Some of these (Mihintale, Mahiyangana, Dadigama) were discovered during times of excavations and dagabo restorations and some of these paintings have been reproduced on canvass by modern artists. These reproductions can be seen in the Museums of Colombo, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Mahanuwara.
 

Ancient Artists

Little is known of the artists of ancient times especially on artists before the 18th century. Some information is available on artists of the Mahanuwara period, among them were a few Buddhist monks. Although ancient Sinhala artists drew inspiration from Indian creations, they did not accept Indian traditions and concepts in their entirety. Deeply inspired by Buddhism, the Sinhala artists invented and incorporated their own artistic and iconographical elements into their art.

Influenced by their inner spiritual emotions and discipline, they developed their own expressions, approaches and styles which resulted in a unique artistic tradition, and a range of artistic creations that are characteristic to Sri Lanka.

According to Professor Albert Dharmasiri of the Faculty of Aesthetic Studies of Kelaniya University of Sri Lanka, “The genius of anonymous painters transferred the rugged rock surfaces and the flat walls of the Buddhist shrines into epics of colour and figurative forms for the spiritual joy and edification of the devotees.” 
 

During the 18th - 19th centuries, and most probably in the earlier centuries also, there were families of artists with their own traditions and techniques of art. There were traditional schools of art or groups of artists headed by a well-known prominent artist. These schools were referred to as “Gurukula”. There were generations of artists in each gurukula. There were several such gurukula groups during the 18th-19th centuries or during the Mahanuwara period of art. Each gurukula developed and followed their own art forms and techniques. This is well reflected in temples such as Degaldoruwa, Ridee Viharaya, Dambawa, Medawela and Hindagala where several traditions and styles of paintings are evident.

Painting Material

On rock and wall surfaces, paintings were executed on a layer (coat) of plaster. The material used to make these layers of plaster were natural, mostly obtained from the immediate environment. Among the natural products commonly used were clay, usually a white gritty clay called “makul”, and also powdered rocks such as granite, quartz and feldspar. For pigments used on these plus on other surfaces such as wood, textile and earthenware, crushed leaves, saps, paddy husks, oils, vegetal secretions, and adherent substances collected from trees such as “jak”, “kekuna”, “divul” and “dorana” were used. Lamp black and ask from burnt cotton and coral were also used. Some of these products were boiled and processed in different ways in order to obtain the necessary shades and colours. A wide range of colours were derived by a system of blending basic colours. A specially made oily material was applied over completed paintings as a protective coat, which also helped to enhance the brightness of colours. This was a form of varnish, often made with powdered “dummala” or rosin mixed with boiled “dorana” oil. Vegetal matter was used to make brushes used in painting along with cats and squirrels hair.

Conservation Through Reproduction of Ancient Paintings

Several modern artists and photographers have contributed to the conservation of ancient paintings that were disintegrating, by producing near-perfect reproductions on canvass and some commendable photographic reproductions. S.P. Charles and L.T.P. Manjusri are prominent among these artists. Their reproductions are exhibited in several Public Museums in Sri Lanka. Manjusri won the prestigious Ramon Magsasay Award for his contribution to preserving ancient paintings. He was keen on copying and preserving paintings that were disintegrating and decaying owing to impact of natural forces and human interventions. The paintings that he was able to reproduce from Vevurukannala and Pathegama Temples and the Karambagala Cave no longer exist. They are considered to be among the best and priceless tracings of ancient paintings by Manjusri.