Copy of painting inside the Ajanta caves (cave 2)

Executed in oil on canvas, the copy mirrors the original’s fresco technique, employing a muted palette and delicate line work characteristic of the Ajanta murals. The artist reproduced the narrative sequencing and spatial organization of the ancient wall painting while adapting it to a portable medium.

In 1844 Major Robert Gill was tasked with copying the Ajanta frescoes, but most of his work was lost in an 1866 fire. To replace those records, John Griffiths of the Bombay School of Art, together with seven Indian apprentices, spent the winters of 1872–1885 at the caves, producing roughly three hundred oil copies, of which this piece is one.

The Ajanta caves, rediscovered in 1819, contain the oldest surviving Indian paintings, reflecting the development of Buddhist visual culture over several centuries. The 19th‑century copying projects were part of a broader colonial effort to document and preserve Indian heritage for scholarly study.

These oil reproductions remain valuable records of the original murals, especially where the frescoes have deteriorated or been damaged. They continue to be referenced by scholars and are displayed in institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, contributing to ongoing research on early Indian Buddhist art.