Indian Art

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Indian Art

• Kristyn Klinck, Erica Gavzy, Augustin Boudes,
  Matt Brautigam, Paul Jeong

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Buddhism- The Four Truths

• Believe in Four Truths
• Life means suffering
• To live means to suffer, because the human nature
  is not perfect and neither is the world we live
  in
• The origin of suffering is attachment
• The reasons for suffering are desire,
• passion, pursuit of wealth and prestige,
• striving for fame and popularity, or in
• short, craving and clinging

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Four Truths

• 3. The end of suffering is attainable
• 1. Can be overcome through human activity,
  simply by removing the cause of suffering
• 2. Resulting in the state of Nirvana freedom
  from all worries, troubles, complexes,
  fabrications and ideas

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Four Truths

• 4. There is a path to the end of suffering
• 1. Eight fold path of
• -Right Understanding
• -Right Intention
• -Right Speech
• -Right Action
• -Right Livelihood
• -Right Effort
• -Right Mindfulness
• -Right Concentration
• This leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth and
  enlightenment

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Buddhism

• Buddhism is the second most popular religion in
  India next to Hinduism.
• Belief in reincarnation, and achieving nirvana.
• humans are reborn after dying and go through many
  cycles of birth, life, death and rebirth.
• Cycles end when the attachment to desire and the
  self is released.
• Once this is accomplished ? Nirvana

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Buddha

• Buddha was the first to reach Nirvana.
• Buddhists study his teachings
• He was not idealized like a god until more
  recently

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Buddhism

• Buddhism is the conviction that happiness and
  good fortune are attainable to all, regardless of
  age, race or background
• Belief that all negative mental states can be
  overcome through the practice of meditation.

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Buddhism Phases

• Buddhist art had two major phases
• Pre iconic phase around 5th century B.C. to 1st
  century, and the
• Sculptures representing Buddha's teachings
• Iconic phase from the 1st century till present
  day.
• Included the first images of Buddha as an
  anthropomorphic god,
• before he had only been represented with images
  associated with his life

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Hinduism

• Differs from Christianity and other
• monotheistic religions in that it does not
• Believe in a prophet
• A central religious authority
• The concept of a single deity
• Similar to Native American way of life
• More of a way of embracing life
• Consists of "thousands of different religious
  groups that have evolved in India since 1500
  BCE."

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Hinduism

• Most recognize a single God
• Believe that other Gods and Goddesses are other
  forms of said God
• Multiple deities but only one universal soul
• 3rd largest religion
• Believe in a caste system,
• System where you are born into the social class
  you will remain in for that life
• Reincarnation

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God Trinity

• Shiva the destroyer
• Brahma the creator
• Vishnu the preserver

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Some of the earliest Indian artwork
PetroglyphsRock engravings
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Pre Historic

• Found in places like Bhimbetka rock shelters in
  central India
• Includes petroglyphs and actual painting
• Discovered in 1957
• -Some shelters
• are estimated to
• be over 100,000
• years old

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Ajanta Caves

• Has been carved out of a monolith
• (type of mountain that is a single massive stone)

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Ajanta Caves

• Ajanta- Midwestern India
• 31 rock cut caves
• Includes Buddhist religious art
• 200 BC- 600 AD
• They were used by Buddhist monks as prayer halls
  and monasteries for about nine centuries, then
  abruptly abandoned.
• Filled with paintings and sculptures

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• Overlapping figures suggest perspective
• Colors are harmoniously
• blended
• Usually earth tones
• Linework is sinuous
• Curving in and out

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Buddhist Mythological Influence

• A scene from the story of King Shibi, who offered
  his own flesh to save a pigeon

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Buddhism Influence Maya giving birth to Buddha
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Ajanta Sculptures

• The Sculptures around Buddhism
• A life size Buddha sculpture is just one out of
  many that resemble the same pose
• This iconic pose signifies enlightenment

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Features of Art

• The sculptures are less idealized and lacking
  depth
• However, best recognized for their intricate
  designs and their philosophic message
• Buddhists were more focused on self perfection
• The sculptures usually follow a cannon

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The Stories in the Walls

• The historic walls are a chronicle of reliefs
• The cave walls show an intricate variety of
  designs through paintings, carvings and
  decorations
• Designs reach back to the stories of Buddhism and
  Hinduism

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Ellora Caves
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Ellora Caves

• -Consisted of Buddhist Caves, Hindu Caves, and
  Jain Caves.
• 12 Buddhist, 5 Jain, and the rest are Hindu
• Shows religious harmony
• -The 34 Caves are located on the face of the
  Charanandri hills
• -Has cave temples and monasteries
• -Built between the 5th 11th centuries

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Carpenters Cave at Ellora

• Built in the 6th Century
• Contains a large 15 foot Buddha statue in
  preaching pose
• The ceilings vaulted roof resembles wooden
  beams, but the beams are really made of stone
• Main hall has central nave and two side aisles

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Bronze Statue of Nataraja
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• Now located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• The ring around the dancer represents the
  universe
• Snake power he has over most deadly creatures
• The central figure is
• known as Shiva and
• the significance of this
• sculpture is to portray
• Shiva as the source of
• all movement
• Represents Shivas
• five movements

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Bronze Statue of Nataraja

• Depiction of the Hindu god Shiva
• The birth of the world, its maintenance, its
  destruction, the souls obscuration and liberation
  are the five acts of His dance.

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The Great Stupa and Sanchi

• Stupa large scale memorials built in
  particularly holy places

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The Great Stupa at Sanchi

• Sanchi contains several Buddhist monuments
• Important place of Buddhist pilgrimage
• Great Stupa commissioned by emperor Ashoka the
  Great
• Simple hemispherical brick structure built over
  relics of Buddha
• Became a symbol for Buddha and his final release
  from the cycle of birth and rebirth

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Mughal Empire

• Imperial power in Southern Asia that ruled most
  of India from the 17th century to the middle of
  the 19th century
• Religion is Islam
• Architecture shows love for poetry and other
  artistic inclinations
• Great adjustments on outside decoration on eye
  perspective
• They are responsible for..

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The Taj Mahal
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Taj Mahal

• Mausoleum located in Agra, India
• Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of
  his third wife called Mumtaz Mahal
• Combines elements of Persian, Islamic, and Indian
  architectural styles
• Built from 1632 to 1653
• Architect is Ustad Ahmad Lahauri

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Taj Mahal

• Four minarets surround the temple
• Has an onion dome
• Has huge vaulted archways called pishtaq on the
  sides
•   Built in white marble

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Taj Mahal Entrance

• There is calligraphy on the outside for
  decoration
• Influenced by Islam

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Taj Mahal Gardens

• Garden is called a charbag or a Mughal garden,
  influenced from earlier Persian gardens