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Galleries

There are seven galleries for exhibits. The Galleries are arranged by Primitive Period to Pre-Modern Period.

Primitive Period

This period goes to 2^nd 3^rd centuries B.C. Sri Lankan prehistoric and proto historic man’s paintings. The paintings themes included stylized animal forms, hunting figures, holding bows, arrows, men riding on animals & symbolic motifs. Painting at Thantirimalaya, Budugalge, Rajagalakanda, Gonagolla, Sangamankanda, Kudumbigala.

Classical Period

This period goes to 4^th 5^th centuries B.C. The best example for this period is rock murals of Sigiriya. These painting are datable to the last quarter of 5^th century reign of King Kashyapa 1. The best preserve are the Apsaras moving among the clouds.

Late Classical Period

This period goes to late Anuradhapura period to early Polonnaruwa period. An important aspect of this period is that the murals turn out to be purely religious. Paintings found at Kabaragala, Gonnagolla, Vessagiriya, Hindagala, Mihinthale, Mahiyangana temples.

Early Medieval Period

This period goes to 12^th centuries A.D. With the shifting of the capital from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa, the artistic trends too seemed to have continued but infusing the over-ornate flamboyancy characteristic of the medieval period. The wall paintings of the colossal Buddha image shrines at Polonnaruva have left vestiges to study the art of paintings.

The Dark Period

The mural painting tradition in Sri Lanka from the beginning of the Dambadeniya period in the 13^th century until the 17^th 18^th centuries of the Kandyan period has been termed the Dark Period, purely because of the death of tangible material, even though several kingdoms came to pass through during this period. The earlier paintings of Wijesundararama at Dambadeniya, Gadaladeniya, Lankathilaka, the recent discoveries of wall paintings of the Gambara Devala in the Natha Devale Premises, Kandy, no doubt indicate the continuation of ancient mural art.

Late Medieval Period

This period goes to 18^th 19^th centuries A.D., usually known as the ‘Late Medieval Period’ or the , Kandyan Period’, when cave and structural Buddhist shrines were filled with murals depicting the life incidents of the Buddha and the Jathaka stories. Considering the distribution pattern of the shrines with paintings, we could separate the murals on regional basic into Central Kandyan Mural Tradition and Marritime Regional Extensions.

The Pre-modern Phase

The early of the 20^th century is marked by a transitional phase between the early painting styles and the modern period. The village temples commenced a new tradition for the preaching of the evil results of bad behavior by getting the village artists to paint hell scenes and Preta world in the Buddhist shrines. The paintings depict Buddhist theme in a mature modernist style that stands at its best.

Introduction

 

Sri Lanka has a long and rich tradition of rock and wall paintings, extending possibly from prehistoric times, and at least from the 2^nd 3^rd century BC to the 20^th century. The great majority of these paintings are found in Buddhist contexts in monasteries and temples.

The exhibition of the Mural Art of Sri Lanka provides a cross section of the remains of this pictorial tradition in chronological order which apart from the Primitive rock art associated with Prehistoric and Vedda tribes, constitutes the classical, the early mediaeval and late mediaeval times. The classical art of the well-known 5^th century Sigiriya ‘apsaras’ remains unchallenged in the Sri Lankan pictorial tradition. Among the post classical and early mediaeval paintings are the religious murals of the 12^th century wall paintings of the Tivanka Pilimage at Polonnaruva. This tradition seems to have continued through to the Kandyan period. The late mediaeval temple painting between the 18^th and 19^th centuries are the most prolific products spead over the whole island. The upcountry murals of the viharas at Dambulla, Ridivihara, Medavala, Degaldoruwa, Hindagala etc. and those of the maritime areas such as Kelaniya, Kataluva, Mirissa, Telvatta etc some of the temples of which are seen in the exhibition, would throw light on this late period.

Theme

Represent Evolution of Sri Lankan cave & wall paintings.

Aim

Preserving the paintings that were damage by natural effects & insects.