Srinagar, April 18 -- When we think about revolutions in art, we often imagine great painters, bold movements, or dramatic shifts in style. Rarely do we think about something as ordinary as a paint container. Yet, one of the most important turning points in the history of art came not from a canvas or a brush, but from a simple invention-the collapsible paint tube.

Before the 19th century, painting was not the free-flowing, expressive activity we imagine today. It was a laborious and highly controlled process. Artists had to prepare their own paints by grinding pigments and mixing them with oils. These mixtures were then stored in crude containers such as pig bladders or small jars. The problem was obvious: these makeshift storage method...