Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (cave 10)

The painting illustrates a scene from the Saddanta Jataka, one of the Buddha’s past-life stories. In this tale, the Buddha, in a previous incarnation as a six-tusked elephant, demonstrates compassion and self-sacrifice. The narrative emphasizes moral virtues central to Buddhist teachings, such as non-violence and generosity. The original mural, like others in the caves, served as a devotional and instructional aid for monks and pilgrims, using visual storytelling to convey ethical lessons.

Unlike the original frescoes, which were painted with natural pigments on wet plaster, this reproduction was executed in oil on canvas. Griffiths and his students adapted the fluid lines and muted earth tones of the ancient murals to a Western medium, striving for fidelity in composition and detail. While the oil technique allowed for greater durability and portability, it also introduced a different texture and luminosity, subtly altering the visual character of the source material.

After the destruction of Major Robert Gill’s earlier copies in a fire, the Bombay School of Art initiated a new documentation effort in 1872 under John Griffiths. Each winter for thirteen years, Griffiths and his students traveled to Ajanta to paint the deteriorating murals. These reproductions became vital records after the original paintings continued to fade. The 1881–83 oil painting is one of the surviving works from this project, now held in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection.

The Ajanta caves were rediscovered in 1819 during British colonial surveying efforts. As interest grew in India’s artistic heritage, colonial officials and scholars sought to preserve what remained of the murals. Griffiths’ project emerged from this context, blending colonial documentation practices with local artistic labor. The involvement of Indian students reflects an early, though uneven, collaboration between British institutions and Indian artists in the preservation of cultural heritage.

Griffiths’ reproductions remain among the most comprehensive visual records of the Ajanta murals from the late 19th century. Many of the original paintings have since faded or been damaged further, making these copies essential for study and public awareness. Though created as copies, they now serve as historical artifacts in their own right, documenting both ancient Indian art and the colonial-era efforts to preserve it.