Answer: It serves as a source book for Indian art, particularly painting.
The Chitrasutra chapter is considered a source book for Indian art, especially painting.
The third Khanda of the Vishnudharmottara Purana, a fifth century text has a chapter Chitrasutra, which should be considered as a source book of Indian art in general and painting specifically. It talks about the art of image making called pratima lakshana, which are canons of painting. The Khanda also deals with the techniques, tools, material(s), surface (wall), perception, perspective and three-dimentionality of human figures. Different limbs of painting, such as roopbheda or looks and appearance; pramana or measurments, proportion and structure; bhava or expressions; lavanya yojana or aesthetic composition; sadrishya or resemblance; and varnikabhanga or use of brush and colours have been explained at length with examples. Each of these have many sub-sections. These canons were read and understood by artists and followed through centuries, thus, becoming the basis of all styles and schools of painting in India. |
