The document provides an overview of Indian art until the 13th century, covering many religions in India including Buddhism, Hinduism, and their artistic traditions. It discusses key Buddhist concepts like the first sermon of Buddha and important figures like Bodhisattvas. For Hinduism, it outlines the pantheon of major gods like Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva and covers elements of Hindu temples and iconic sculptures such as the Nataraja bronze. Regional artistic styles from areas like Orissa and important architectural works like at Sanchi and Angkor Wat are also summarized.

1. Sandrine Le Bail AP Art History
Indian Art
Until 13th century

2. India

3. Many Religions
• Place of birth of Buddhism (but only 2% of the
population today)
• Hindus (80%)
• Muslims
• Christians
• Jains
• Sikhs …

4. Many in these religions have in
common:
• The material world (yoga)is an illusion
• The spiritual world (Brahman) is real and
everlasting
• Achievement through meditation – Reach the
Nirvana
• Images = aids for meditation
• Images = products of meditation

5. Buddha

6. Buddhism
Siddharat Gautama
or
Shakyamuni Buddha
563-483 BCE

7. 1st sermon in the Deer Park in Sarnath

8. Buddhist Iconography

9. Bodhisattvas
Helpers of
Buddha
High level of
enlightment

10. Lion- Buddha’s royalty

11. Wheel – Buddha’s law

12. Lotus – Buddha’s pure nature

13. Columns surrounded by wheel
Buddha's teaching

14. Empty Throne: Buddha

15. Kushan Period
1st-3rd century CE

16. Standing Buddha,
from Gandhara,
Afganistan or
Pakistan, 2nd-3rd
century
1st anthropomorphic
representation of Buddha

19. Gupta Sculpture
4th-5th century CE

20. Representation of Buddha

22. Buddha
Preaching the
First Sermon,
Archeological
Museum,
Sarnath, India,
5th century CE

23. Preaching Mudra

24. Nimbus
Bodhisattvas
Wheel Predella

25. Characteristics of Buddha statues
• Uniformity for centuries
• Compact pose
• Little negative space
• Usually seated in the lotus position
(sometimes standing or lying down)
• Frontal and symmetrical
• Usually detached, in meditation

26. Art Works

27. Lion Capital from
Sarnath,
India, c.250 BCE

28. Pilar of Ashoka
Ashoka was an
important king
-unit almost all India
-renounced to
violence to follow
Buddhism
- Erected many pilars

30. Stupa
Mount shaped shrine with no interior
Reliquary

31. Great Stupa, Sanchi, India,
3rd century BCE

32. Mount Meru

33. Great Stupa,
Sanchi
Vedika

34. Vedica imitates a wooden fence
3 Umbrellas = 3 jewels of Buddhism:
- Buddha
- Buddha’s law
- Monastic Orders
Torana

37. Torana,1st century BCE

40. Yakshi – Female deity
(Yaksha – Male deity)

41. Chaitya Hall
Rock-cut in basilican form with a
stupa at the end point

42. Chaitya Hall

43. Chaitya Hall, Karli, India, c.50-70 CE
(façade)

47. Santa Sabina,
Rome, 423-432
Chaitya Hall, Karli, 50-
70 CE

48. Ajanta Caves, 5th century AD

54. Bodhisattva
Padmapani,
from cave 1,
Ajanta,
India,
c.475 BCE

57. Different way to spirituality

58. Hindu Art

59. Hinduism
• Only major religion without a founder
• Universe is cyclical
• Cosmic struggles between Gods, Humans and
demons
• Vast pantheon (millions of God)
• Personal bond with the deities
• Reincarnation
• Nirvana

60. Hinduism
• Infinite variety of the divine
• Reincarnation
• Nirvana (ultimate release from the cycle of
rebirth
• Importance of Karma (quality of behavior in a
previous life)
• World ruled by Dharma (the law)
• Each caste has its own code of conduct

61. 3 main gods
Brahma – the
creator
Vishnu- the
preserver
(10 avatars – most
famous Krishna)
Shiva- the
destructor
(3 eyes and one
trident)

62. Kali
Ganesh
Devi

63. Hindu temples

64. Hindu Temple: Rich symbolism
• Long preparation to prepare the construction
of a temple
• Axis: East/west (like sun)
• Symbol of the Mount Meru
• Abode of the god
• “Womb of the World”
• Only accessible to priests / not congregational
• Cult image in inner sanctuary (garbha griha)

65. Temple of Vishnu, Deogarh, Uttar
Pradesh, India, early 6th century
Shikhara = tower

66. Garbha Griha
= womb
Where the god
is invoked
Shrines

68. Vishnu sleeping on Ananta,early 6th
century
1) Vishnu
( 4 arms)
2) Brahma
(4 heads)
3) Shiva and
Parvati on a
bull
4) Lakshmi

73. Temple of Vishnu, Deogarh, Uttar
Pradesh, India, early 6th century
• Complete integration of architecture and
sculpture
• Pairs of divine couple (mithuna) appear upon
the exterior and the doorways
• Sinuous curves and lines of the body
• Dance posed

74. Orissan Temples (8th-13th century)
• Orissa – region in the
North East of India
• Center of architectural
development
• By the 8th century,
Temples became
extremely complex
• Temple cities

76. Mukteshvar Temple of Shiva,
Bhubaneshvar, Orissa, India, c.950

77. Mukteshvar Temple of Shiva,
Bhubaneshvar, Orissa, India, c.950
Torana

78. Shrine
Ambulatory

79. Angkor Wat, Cambodia, c-113-1150
II

80. Angkor Wat, Cambodia, c-113-1150
Capital city
Khmers
Built by
Suryavarman II
Architecture tie to cosmos
Central spire – 200 feet / 61 m

81. Dedicated to Vishnu

82. Moat = ocean
5 towers = 5 peaks of Mount Meru
The outer wall = Mountain
around the world

86. Anghor Wat’s
Sculpture
13.00 square feet /1.208 m2
Repetitive details
Apsaras: Courtesans and dancers
S-shaped
Voluptuous breath

88. Hindu Temple Characteristics
• Thick walls
• Small interior rooms for the statue
• Post and Lintel
• Corbelled vaulting
• Riche outside decoration : to teach People

89. Shiva Nataraja, ca. 11th century
Dancing Shiva

90. Shiva Nataraja, ca. 11th century
Cobras
Flame
Drum
Flaming nimbus = world
Demon of Ignorance

91. Characteristic of Indian Art
• Interconnectiveness of all arts: architecture,
painting and sculpture
• Monuments = combination of arts
• Uniformity of style
• Respect of proportions and iconography