Book Review: New Documents of Jaina Painting
By Paresh Chandra Dasgupta
Summary
P. C. Das Gupta reviews the book ‘New Documents of Jaina Painting’ by Dr Moti Chandra and Dr Umakant P. Shah, published by Shri Mahavira Jaina Vidyalaya in 1975. The reviewer explains that the book emerged from research undertaken during the Golden Jubilee of the Shri Mahavira Jaina Vidyalaya and presents a trove of colour and black‑and‑white reproductions of Jaina manuscript paintings hitherto unknown or inaccessible. In his review Das Gupta praises the volume’s introductory essay for surveying the development of Western Indian Jaina painting from the 12th to the 16th centuries. The introduction discusses the Kalaka Katha, the Uttarādhyayana Sūtra, the Candraprabha‑Caritra, the Kalpa‑Sūtra and other texts, tracing how conventions of Western Indian painting evolved and how the use of Persian paper, Mughal pigments and Gujarati and Rajasthani styles gradually supplanted earlier conventions. He notes that the authors make a convincing argument that by the late 15th century elements such as the ‘farther eye’ and bold decorative features disappeared and were replaced by more refined drawing and colouring. The reviewer highlights the discussion of mural traditions in Gujarat, Malwa and Rajasthan and commends the authors for demonstrating that Jaina painters were influenced by, yet distinct from, contemporary Hindu and Muslim schools. The book includes over two hundred plates, many in colour, accompanied by detailed captions that identify the manuscripts, date, provenance and stylistic peculiarities. Das Gupta applauds the editors for maintaining high reproduction quality and for using apple‑red backgrounds that replicate the vibrancy of the original folios. He believes the volume will be invaluable to art historians and Indologists because it documents manuscripts from major bhandāras (libraries) and brings to light paintings previously unknown outside the custodial monasteries. The review concludes by encouraging scholars and collectors to support similar publications and emphasises the importance of preserving fragile illustrated manuscripts for future generations.
Conclusion
Das Gupta’s appraisal frames ‘New Documents of Jaina Painting’ as a pioneering contribution to the study of Jaina art. By combining an insightful historical essay with high‑quality reproductions of rare manuscript paintings, the book both broadens the evidentiary base for scholars and makes a largely inaccessible art tradition available to a wider audience. The reviewer urges continued documentation and conservation efforts so that these delicate paintings, which illuminate the aesthetic and religious life of medieval Jain communities, are not lost.