INDIAN PAINTING, THE GREAT MURAL TRADITION (Mapin, Rs 3,500) by Mira Seth is a well-researched study of murals in the ancient caves, temples and monasteries of India. The author analyses the wall paintings by placing them in the context of their times. Thus the paintings depicting stories from religious texts are also seen to exhibit a fascinating realism, providing insights into contemporary life. The entire range of the tradition of mural painting is represented in the first 10 pages through representative murals from south, north and west India. The characteristics of the murals change according to the schools that produced them but there are also discernible similarities, indicating the mutual influencing of the different traditions. This mural from Ajanta, Cave xviii, depicts a couple in conversation. The naturalism in the relaxed poses of the couple is noteworthy.