The Silhouette Of The Buddha

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Name: The Silhouette Of The Buddha
Brand: Exotic India
SKU: OV96
Price: 135.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$135

The pristine conch shell of India occupies a place of veneration in Indian culture. The original bugle that functions as an emblem of power and sovereignty, it could be found in the hands of Arjuna (Devadatta) as well as Vishnu (Panchajanya). The slender, paper-thin shell is found in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, as well as in the Himalayan foothills and the Tibetan plateaux. The conch, of the rightward-spiralling variety that is in this painting, is called dakshinamukha and considered especially sacred. A rarity in nature, these conchs are Tibetan ritual musical instruments and a symbol of religious and dharmic authority in the Buddhist tradition. The true form of the Buddha could be gauged from 32 different signs, of which a voice as deep and resonant as the sound of the conch is one. In fact, visual imageries of the Buddha (sculptures and paintings) consist of 3 conch-like curves on His neck to indicate that His voice is as sweet as the music of the conch.

This painting therefore depicts the Buddha's face next to the form of a conch. It is a graceful, curvaceous conch; its body ornamented with engravings to enhance the natural beauty of its shape. Its rightward spirals are in tandem with the celestial motions of the heavenly bodies as well as the whorls the Buddha's tresses are arranged in, His conch-esque navel, and the urna (the third eye indicative of divine vision) on His brow. In this painting the Buddha's eyes are shapely and shut, the curve of His brow resembling the wings of the free albatross in motion. A long slender nose ends right above a lotus-like mouth, which are set against a full countenance bearing a composure of tranquility. The tips of His lengthened lobes almost graze His shoulders, on which is draped a robe of gold. While the background is occupied with cloud formations, a shower of gorgeous red petals dominates the foreground. Both these symbolisms are drawn from the rich thangka tradition of Tibet. Note the gentle glow of the halo that lines the silhouette of the Buddha, almost like it surrounds the conch itself.

Quantity

Notify me when this item is available

Item Code:	OV96
Specifications:	Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions	26 inch x 37 inch

Handmade

Free delivery

Fully insured

100% Made in India

Fair trade

Oil painting technique – India centric

Oil painting is the most interesting technique in art. Unlike other paintings or art forms, oil painting is a process in which colored pigments are painted on the canvas with a drying oil medium as a binder. This medium helps colors blend beautifully to create layers and also makes them appear rich and dense. Several varieties of oil are used in this painting such as sunflower oil, linseed oil, etc., and depending on the quality of the oil, a particular consistency of the paint is developed. With the use of an oil medium, the painting gets a natural sheen on the surface which appears extremely attractive. India is famous for its old tradition of making oil paintings. This art form was brought by Europeans in the 18th century and is now practiced by almost all well-known artists. Nirmal, a small tribal town in the state of Telangana is the center of traditional oil paintings in India where the local people practice it with dedication. Most Indian artists still use the traditional technique of oil painting.

Canvas of the required size is prepared

The artists use either a wood panel or canvas made from linen or cotton. Sometimes the canvas is stretched onto the wooden frame to form a solid base, or cardboard may be used. The canvas is coated with a layer of white paint or chalk mixed with animal glue. This mixture is then smoothed and dried to form a uniform, textured surface. The wooden panel is more expensive and heavier but its solidity is an advantage in making detailed paintings with ease.

Sketch is drawn on the canvas

Now the artist starts to draw the subject of the painting on the canvas using the actual charcoal or a charcoal pencil. Sometimes, he may sketch with thinned paint as well.

Oil paint is applied using paint brushes or palette knives

Now that the rough sketch is prepared, the artist is now ready to paint. Oil paint, a special paint that contains particles of pigments suspended in a drying oil (usually linseed oil), is again mixed with oil to make it thinner for applying it on the canvas. Proper consistency of the paint is maintained to avoid its breakage. The most important rule for the application of oil paint is “Fat over lean” in which the first layer of paint is thin and later, thicker layers are applied. This means that each additional layer of paint contains more oil. This results in getting a stable paint film. Traditionally, paint was applied using paint brushes but now the artists also use palette knives to create crisp strokes. To paint using this technique, the edge of the palette knife is used to create textured strokes that appear different from that of a paintbrush. Sometimes, oil paints are blended simply using fingers for getting the desired gradation.

Smaller oil paintings, with very fine detail, are relatively easier to paint than larger ones. The most attractive feature of these paintings is the natural shiny appearance that is obtained on the surface because of the use of oil paint. The blending of colors looks extremely realistic and this is the reason why oil paintings are loved by everyone throughout the world.

Products related to this item