The Ajanta Caves by Benoy K Behl
In 1819, a group of British soldiers chanced upon the Ajanta caves, lying in a ravine of the Waghora river some 200 miles north-east of Bombay. Ranging in date from the 2nd century BC to the 6th century AD, the exquisite Buddhist paintings and sculptures that they found there now rank among the world's most important cultural treasures. Here, Benoy K. Behl captures some of the finest works of Buddhist art in all their glory and luminosity. The exquisite murals depict the Jatakas (tales of previous incarnations) of Lord Buddha, scenes of princely processions, ladies with their handmaidens, bejewelled animals, ascetics in monasteries and fantastical birds and beasts, all with a startling degree of sophistication. What is unique about the paintings is their humanity: the men and women of this world have the capacity to adore - they look upon each other with expressions of infinite caring. Ajanta provides virtually the only evidence remaining of painting styles that first developed in India and then travelled with the spread of Buddhism as far as Japan and Korea. potent symbol of the great beauty of India's rich artistic past.
'The Ajanta paintings are reproduced truly for the first time in all their actual ravishing colours and incredible flowing, loving detail.. the well-structured text genuinely illuminates the images ... one of the most gorgeous and stimulating books of Indian art ever produced' - Times Higher Education Supplement
'Lavishly produced and magnificently illustrated ... the most successful photographic record of the cave and its paintings ever achieved' - Ancient
'Benoy K. Behl’s remarkable photographs, painstakingly gathered and digitally restored over thirty years of hard labour, are probably the best and truest record of these fabulous treasures that will ever be created' - William Dalrymple
'Lavishly produced and magnificently illustrated ... the most successful photographic record of the cave and its paintings ever achieved' - Ancient
'Benoy K. Behl’s remarkable photographs, painstakingly gathered and digitally restored over thirty years of hard labour, are probably the best and truest record of these fabulous treasures that will ever be created' - William Dalrymple
Benoy K. Behl is an art historian, film-maker and photographer who is known for his tireless and prolific output of work over the past forty-six years. He has taken over 53,000 photographs of Asian monuments and art heritage and made 145 documentaries on subjects of art and culture.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780500296691 |
| ISBN 10 | 0500296693 |
| Title | The Ajanta Caves |
| Author | Benoy K Behl |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Thames & Hudson Ltd |
| Year published | 2023-10-12 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |