After the advent of the Europeans in India, new progressions in the field of painting took place. Indian art had always been abstract. Artists who came along British, helped Europeans form a perception about India. They brought with them the idea of realism. Abstract Art versus Realism In the field of painting, a convention is…
Folk art is defined as ‘the art of common people expressed in simple language for educating and entertaining the simple village folk’. In this unit, we are to focus on the genre of Indian folk paintings, as they subsisted in the past and as they continue to exist in contemporary times. India is largely a…
Miniature paintings refer to the small size of paintings, generally done on paper or cloth, instead of traditional paintings that were done on walls. Miniatures paintings became popular as soon as manuscripts became common. These were used to enhance the accompanying text. In India, it developed primarily after the 11th century CE, having diverse features throughout…
India had an exquisite tradition in the art of painting in the ancient age, and most of the early period paintings were based on religious themes and showed episodes from the Hindu epics or Jain and Buddhist literature. Though very few early examples survive because of the climatic conditions, they are insignificant to understanding the history…
In this unit, we will try to understand the essential elements and how the metal sculptures were produced. With the techniques known to our people, they have produced incredible artistic bronze sculptures from very early times. The art of metal casting always received great attention and is of the highest antiquity. The metal sculptures are…
Introduction of money in the earliest civilisation happened purely out of practical needs, i.e. to facilitate exchange. Indus valley Civilisation: There were no coins in the Indus valley, but clay seals were probably used to facilitate long distance trade, as a mark of guarantee of delivery of consignments. Vedic age: In the Vedic age, while…
Pottery refers to three categories of utensils: Earthernware, Stoneware and Porcelain (requires minerals like kaolin to be heated up to 1200oC). These may be glazed or unglazed. Glazing of Pottery When a water based solution of finely ground mineral is is applied to the pottery, which is then dried and heated at a high temperature,…
The word for sculpture is ‘Shilpa,’ which means to ‘create.’ Sculpture was the favoured medium of artistic manifestation on the Indian subcontinent. It signifies the traditions, forms, and styles of the civilisations of the Indian subcontinent. Many styles and traditions flourished throughout India over the succeeding centuries. By the 9th–10th centuries AD, Indian sculpture had…
Indo-Islamic architecture is a unique architecture of the Indian subcontinent generally produced by Islamic patrons. It was produced by and for Islamic patrons and purposes. Despite an initial Arab conquest in Sindh, the development of Indo-Islamic architecture began in earnest with the establishment of Delhi as the capital of the Ghurid empire in 1193. They also adopted…
The Vesara style of temples is a combination of both Nagara and Dravida; its superstructure is bell-shaped. Vesara temples are mainly erected by Chalukyas of Badami and Kalyani, Rashtrakutas and Hoysala Dynasty. Features of Vesara Style temple architecture: An open ambulatory passageway; The pillars, ceiling, walls and doorways are decorated with complex carvings; It gave…