著者

定金 計次

出版者

美学会

雑誌

美学 (ISSN:05200962)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.46, no.3, pp.1-11, 1995-12-31 (Released:2017-05-22)

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There is the general misconception that all Indian art is religious. In India, however, secular painting achieved development equal to that of religious sculpture. If we survey the history of Indian painting from the Ajanta murals through pre-modern miniatures, it becomes evident that a consistent pattern permeates the tradition. While down-playing natural surroundings, Indian painting invariably focuses around human figures, especially those with the procreative powers of youth. The mithuna, or generative young couple, appears repeatedly as primary subject matter and is often expressed as the young Radha and Krsna in pre-modern paintings. An auspicious symbol of procreation, the mithuna dates back to primitive religions, thus linking Indian secular art and religion. The idealization of youth is also evident in Indian sculpture. Throughout history, most Indian divinities have been represented in the forms of young people-the Indian people regarded age sixteen as their ideal. This tendency influenced not only the growth of Tantrism in Indian religious thought but also the propagation of cults of boy-gods in Indian religions. Adoration of youth thus popularized Krsna and Karttikeya in Hinduism and Manjusri in Buddhism.