{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O119053"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O119053/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AY0555/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AY0555/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AY0555","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY0553","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY0550","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY0549","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY0545","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY0542","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY0541","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY0539","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O119053/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O119053","accessionNumber":"IS.89-1887","objectType":"Oil painting","titles":[{"title":"Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (cave 17)","type":"series title"},{"title":"Copy of painting from the caves of Ajanta","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The cave paintings of Ajanta are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the jatakas) and date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480. The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and since then attempts have been made to document the paintings inside them. In 1844 Major Robert Gill was commissioned to make copies. Unfortunately most of the paintings he completed were destroyed in a fire in 1866. To make up for this loss, from 1872, John Griffiths from the Bombay school of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter for the following 13 years at the caves producing approximately 300 paintings, of which this is an example.\r\n\r\nThe white patches on the painting are placed over fragile areas that require conservation work.","physicalDescription":"This painting has been blackened by fire and water damage. Only parts of it are visible.\r\nThere are three simple house structures on the right hand side of the painting, each has a couple inside. In the top right hand corner is the head and neck of a white horse. On the right hand side is a house with a striking pointed roof and there are groups of figures gathered around it.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"John Griffiths","id":"A4223"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Bombay School of Art","id":"A2830"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"oil colour","id":"AAT15050"},{"text":"canvas","id":"AAT14078"}],"techniques":[{"text":"oil painting","id":"AAT178684"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"oil on canvas","categories":[{"text":"Buddhism","id":"THES48984"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"India Museum","id":"THES286062"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006AY0555","2006AY0553","2006AY0550","2006AY0549","2006AY0545","2006AY0542","2006AY0541","2006AY0539"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES340784"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"oil painting","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Ajanta","id":"x39072"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1881-1883","earliest":"1881-01-01","latest":"1883-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Received from the India Office","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"1984","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Painting","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"4316","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Painting","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"30","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Painting","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"2010","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"With frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"4342","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"With frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"40","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"With frame","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"From wall of right aisle, cave 17\r\nabove 1& 2nd cell doorway\r\n14' 5 long , 6'-8\" high","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On back of canvas"},{"content":"'Begun 30th Janry 1882' (mistake?)\r\n'Begun 14th Febry 83'\r\n'Begun 8or 9? March 83'\r\n'Begun 17 ? March 1883'\r\n'Begun 6th June 1883'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Painted along  top edge of canvas selvedge on back of canvas, just visible near frame. These indicate start dates for vertical sections of the painting. The width of each vertical panel at this edge is respectively:\r\n93 cm, 83 cm, 85.3cm, 87.8cm, 82.7cm.\r\nThe finish dates for each panel are written along the bottom selvedge edge."},{"content":"'Finished 13th Febry 1883'\r\n'Finished 6th March 1883'\r\n'Finished 16th May'\r\n'Finished 5th June 1883'\r\n'Finished 11th June 1883'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Painted along bottom edge of canvas selvedge, on back of canvas. Indicates finishing dates for each vertical section of painting. The width of each vertical panel at this edge is respectively:\r\n93cm, 93.5cm, 76.5cm, 84.8cm, 84cm\r\nThe start dates for each panel are written along the bottom selvedge edge."},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Commissioned by the Government of India between 1872-1885 and deposited in the India Museum, London.\n\nHistorical significance: This painting depicts scenes from the Simhala Jataka.\n\nReceived from the India Office. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.","historicalContext":"The cave paintings of Ajanta are the oldest surviving examples of painting in India. They depict stories from the lives of the Buddha (the jatakas) and date from the 1st century BC to about AD 480. The cave complex was discovered in 1819 and since then attempts have been made to document the paintings inside them. In 1844 Major Robert Gill was commissioned to make copies. Unfortunately most of the paintings he completed were destroyed in a fire in 1866. To make up for this loss, from 1872, John Griffiths from the Bombay school of Art and seven Indian students spent every winter for the following 13 years at the caves producing approximately 300 paintings, of which this is an example.","briefDescription":"Copy of Fresco 'P1' in Cave '17' in the caves of Ajanta by John Griffiths and students from the Bombay School of Art, oil on canvas, 1872-1885, India.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Griffiths, J, The paintings in the Buddhist cave temples of Ajanta, India, 1896"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Burgess, J, Notes on the Bauddha Rock-Temples of Ajanta, Bombay, 1879"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Schlingloff, D, Guide to the Ajanta paintings, Vol. 1, New Delhi, 1999."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"India","id":"x29790"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Buddhism","id":"AAT73738"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IS.89-1887"],"accessionNumberNum":"89","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1887,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-10","recordCreationDate":"2005-11-25","availableToBook":true}}