The art of painting received a new impetus under the Vijayanagar rulers. The earlier practice of only painting the outer walls and ceilings of temples was given up and instead images were produced which greatly enhanced the beauty of these buildings. Of course, these paintings on the walls and ceilings of a particular temple were in conformity with the presiding deity of the temple.
For example, the Hazara Ramasvami temple at Kumbakonam contains a large number of fresco paintings depicting the various scenes from the life of Lord Rama. Most of the temples in the Kamataka region which were built during the Vijayanagar period contain paintings portraying various episodes from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Puranas, etc.
The Tontada Siddhalingesvara temple at Edeyur portrays scenes from the life of Lord Siva. Similarly, the ceilings of the Jain temples at Tirupparuttikkunarm and other places portary scenes from the life of Lord Mahavira. Swell in his well known work ‘Forgotten Empire’ has included the narrative of the traveller Paes.
The latter refers to a chamber in the palace of the king at Vijayanagar and says : “There were designed all the ways of the life of the men who had been there, including the Portuguese so that the Kings’ wives could understand the manner in which each one lived in his own country, even to the blind and the beggars.
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At the entrance to the King’s residence were two images painted life-like and drawn to their respective manner.” One of them represented Krishnadevaraya’s father and the other was Krishnadevaraya himself.
There were many other paintings the sculptures on the walls of the chamber. Abdur Razzaq admired the figures of various animals such as panthers, tigers, lions painted in the houses of the nobles which looked life-like. Venkata II greatly patronised the art of painting.
At his request, the Jesuit father sent a painter Alexander Fray by name who remained at the court till 1602. After his departure, Bartolomeo, an Italian artist, was sent to his court. He painted a portrait of the king which was highly liked by him.
It was in A.D. 1611 when the mission was closed at Vellore that Bortolomeo left for home. Work in bronze continued as we see in the bronze statues of Krishnadevaraya and his queens in the temple at Tirupati.
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We have already referred to the sculptures or images of gods and goddesses in various temples. Besides there were innumerable figures in stone which decorated the outer walls of the temples and the chambers of the king and the nobles. Interesting scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and other sacred works were protrayed on the walls.
In the Hazara Ramesvara temple, Visnu is represented in a sculpture on a pillar as riding a horse. In the Achyuta Raya temple, on both sides of the inner and outer door are two beautiful maidens “representing in duplicate the river Goddess Ganga or the Ganges, standing on the back of a makara in conventional crocodile from the mouth of which issues a floriated scroll ornament of semi-classical character which is continued all around the door frame and forms a very pleasing ornament.”
Abdur Razzaq also refers to the beautiful figures of various animals’ horses, panthers, tigers which decorated the houses of the nobles. The art of sculpture though got fully developed had at least been practised during the days of the Rayas.