The panorama of Indian painting is enriched with a large number Rock-paintings found in Central India. Discuss what information do we get about the art of the Late Stone Age people from the rock paintings of that area?

Rock shelters are numerous in Central India, particularly in the Vindhyan sandstone region, which lends itself to their formation. A fair proportion of them are decorated with drawings upon the walls and ceilings. Colours include purple, red, and light orange-brown.

• The drawings are associated with the hunting cultures of Stone Age and immediately post-Stone Age times. They show animals of many kinds, including deer, antelope, wild pig, rhinoceros, elephant, buffalo, humped cattle, and monkey.
• Also there are human figures, sometimes together with animals in hunting scenes and other large compositions, and sometimes alone or in groups.
• Finally there are some objects and designs which are less easily identified.
• This all art indicates the association of the people with the animals which could be depicting hunting scenes where the people hunted animals for food. Also it could depict the cordial relationship the people had with the animals wherein they could have tamed the animals.

Also from the colours used, we get an idea about the way colours were manufactured by the people.  Lastly, these all drawings indicate the decorative style of the people of that age wherein they could have used this technique for decorating their shelters in their leisure time.

Topics: GS-I: Indian Art Forms