Copy of painting inside the caves of Ajanta (cave 16)
1882
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1882
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This oil painting copies a 1,900-year-old cave mural in India. Kubera, the god of wealth, sits holding a coin-filled bag. Pearls drip from his neck like beads of light. Griffiths made this in the 1880s when British artists copied Ajanta’s fragile art. The pearls are painted thick and glossy, almost popping off the canvas. It’s easy to miss the tiny coins tumbling from Kubera’s bag. Check out Griffiths’ other work at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
