Download Indian Painting

Indian Art
Kristyn Klinck, Erica Gavzy,
Augustin Boudes, Matt Brautigam,
Paul Jeong
Buddhism- The Four Truths
• Believe in Four Truths:
1. Life means suffering
1. To live means to suffer, because the human nature
is not perfect and neither is the world we live in
2. The origin of suffering is attachment
1. The reasons for suffering are desire,
passion, pursuit of wealth and prestige,
striving for fame and popularity, or in
short, craving and clinging
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
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
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
Buddha
• Buddha was the
first to reach
Nirvana.
– Buddhists study his
teachings
– He was not
idealized like a god
until more recently
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.
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
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."
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
God Trinity
• Shiva the destroyer
• Brahma the creator
• Vishnu the preserver
Some of the earliest Indian artwork:
Petroglyph’s
Rock engravings
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
Ajanta Caves
Has been carved out of a monolith
 (type of mountain that is a single massive stone)
Ajanta Caves
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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
• Overlapping figures
suggest perspective
• Colors are
harmoniously
blended
• Usually earth tones
• Linework is sinuous
– Curving in and out
Buddhist Mythological Influence
• A scene from
the story of
King
Shibi, who
offered his
own flesh to
save a
pigeon
Buddhism Influence
Maya giving birth to Buddha
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
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
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
Ellora Caves
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
Carpenter’s Cave at Ellora
• Built in the 6th Century
• Contains a large 15
foot Buddha statue in
‘preaching pose’
• The ceiling’s vaulted
roof resembles
wooden beams, but
the beams are really
made of stone
• Main hall has central
nave and two side
aisles
Bronze Statue of Nataraja
• 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 Shiva’s
five movements
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.”
The Great Stupa and Sanchi
Stupa: large scale memorials built in
particularly holy places
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
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……..
The Taj Mahal
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
Taj Mahal
• Four minarets
surround the temple
• Has an onion dome
• Has huge vaulted
archways called
“pishtaq” on the sides
• Built in white marble
Taj Mahal Entrance
• There is
calligraphy
on the
outside for
decoration
• Influenced
by Islam
Taj Mahal Gardens
• Garden is called a
“charbag’ or a Mughal
garden, influenced
from earlier Persian
gardens