Artwork

Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (Cave 1)

Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (Cave 1), by Robert Gill, oil, 1852
Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (Cave 1), by Robert Gill, oil, 1852

Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (Cave 1) is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Robert Gill. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

This oil painting copies ancient murals inside India’s Ajanta caves. It shows scenes from Buddhist stories called jatakas. Robert Gill made it between 1850 and 1854.

Ajanta’s caves hold the oldest surviving Indian paintings. Most of Gill’s copies were lost in a fire in 1866. Later teams redocumented the caves to save what was left.

Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Overview

This oil painting is a copy of an ancient mural from Ajanta Cave 1, created by Major Robert Gill between 1850 and 1854. It represents scenes from Buddhist jataka tales.

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts episodes from the Mahosadha and Sumagadha jatakas, stories from the life of the Buddha that convey moral teachings.

History & Provenance

Gill's copies were largely destroyed in a fire in 1866. The original murals at Ajanta date from the 1st century BC to around AD 480 and were rediscovered in 1819.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil paint, this work replicates the style and narrative content of the ancient Ajanta cave paintings, which are India's oldest surviving examples of painting.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Robert Gill

Artist

Robert Gill

Major Robert Gill (1804–1879) was an army officer, antiquarian, painter and photographer in British India.