NOTES


Note 1, p. 13.

For a further discussion of these two main kinds of Indian expression, see
my _Indian Painting_ (Iris, Batsford, London, 1956).


Note 2, p. 14.

In Indian painting, Krishna is normally blue or mauve in colour, though
cases occur in which he is black, green or dark brown. Black would seem
to follow from Krishna's name--the word 'Krishna' meaning 'black'--and may
have been applied either because he sprang from a black hair of Vishnu
or because he was born at midnight, 'black as a thundercloud.' It has
been suggested that his dark complexion proves a Dravidian or even an
aboriginal origin since both the Dravidian races and the aboriginal tribes
are dark brown in colour in contrast to the paler Aryans. None of the
texts, however, appears to corroborate this theory. So far as 'blue' and
'mauve' are concerned, 'blue' is the colour of Vishnu and characterizes
most of his incarnations. As the colour of the sky, it is appropriate to
a deity who was originally associated with the sun--the sun with its
life-giving rays according well with Vishnu's role as loving protector.
'Blue' is also supposed to be the colour of the ocean on which Vishnu is
said to recline at the commencement of each age. In view of the variations
in colour in the pictures, it is perhaps significant that 'blue,' 'mauve'
and 'green' are commonly regarded in village India as variants of
'black'--many Indians making no distinction between them. In Indian
painting, the fact that Krishna is blue makes it easy to identify him, his