The Theory of Citrasutras in Indian Painting : Routledge : 9781138990258 : 1138990256 : 20 Jun 2016 : The study of technical treatises in Indian art has increasingly attracted much interest. This work puts forward a critical re-examination of the key Indian concepts of painting described in the Sanskrit treatises, called citrasutras. In an in-depth and systematic analysis of the texts on the theory of Indian painting, it critically examines the different ways in which the texts have been interpreted and used in the study of Indian painting, and suggests a new approach to reading and understanding their concepts. Contrary to previous publications on the subject, it is argued that the intended use of such texts as a standard of critique largely failed due to a fundamental misconceptualization of the significance of ?text' for Indian painters. Isabella Nardi offers an original approach to research in this field by drawing on the experiences of painters, who are considered as a valid sour