Joel Elgin. Influences: The Art of India and Islamic Art
Hindu Art
Hindu art followed Buddhist art, though
historically Hinduism was practiced before Buddhism. Now you get to look back
and see the influence of the earlier art in India.
The Gupa period saw the creation of Hindu
shrines and architecture most likely constructed to spread the Hindu teachings.
The Buddhists had been successful doing this. Hindu sculpture was also highly
influenced by the style of early Buddhist sculpture.
Hindu religion dominated its’ artwork and
focuses on…
1.) Devi – the major female deity.
2.) Brahma – the Creator
3.) Shiva – the Destroyer
OK, go ahead and go to the Met and learn more:
4.) Vishnu – the Preserver
(I'll go into more detail on Vishna because
there is more artwork to see)
Vishnu is known as the preserver of order.
Badami cave temples
Vishnu can be identified by his shield, disc
and club.
In the thousands of images of Vishnu we see
numerous images of his three weapons taking on the form of animals, and images
of his wife Shri Lakshima as well.
Vishnu and Lakshmi riding on the Garuda
This all gets more interesting and complicated
as Vishnu incarnates at least ten times. One of the most depicted is his
incarnation into Krishna, the Gopi or cowherd. Krishna continues to be the
subject of paintings and can be recognized by his blue skin and is typically
portrayed as a "trickster."
Lord Krishna and Gopikas.
Krishna Stealing the Garments of the Unmarried Gopi Girls
Islamic Art
The Mughal dynasty began in 1526. Akbar
(1556–1605) was the first great Mughal patron of the arts. Akbar was interested
in spiritual and religious issues and included in his court, theologians who
were Hindus, Jains, Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians.
The Walters Art Museum
The Virgin and Child
illuminated manuscripts; folios (leaves)
Mughal Dynasty
Date 1008-1034 AH/AD 1600-1625 (Mughal)
Material ink
and pigments on paper
Measurements
H: 12 x W: 7 15/16
in. (30.5 x 20.2 cm); Image H: 6 9/16 x W: 4 1/16 in. (16.7 x 10.3 cm)
The Walters Art Museum
(Links to an
external site.)http://thewalters.org
Description This Mughal tinted drawing of the
Virgin and Child, Walters manuscript leaf W.903, dates to the11th century AH/AD
17th. The Virgin Mary is shown in a diaphanous light pink garment seated beside
two baskets. She looks toward the infant Jesus, who clasps her hand. The image
documents Mughal interest in themes circulated by the Jesuits and European
traders. The Virgin and Child were popular subject matter under the Mughal
emperors, especially Akbar and Jahangir.
Mughal Paintings are miniatures or book
illustrations that developed in the court of the Mughal Empire.
Ramayana; The Awakening of Kumbhakarna, the Giant Brother of
Ravana
Illustrated manuscript, folio
Akbar (1556-1605)
Mughal period (1526-1858)
1595-1605
Material Opaque
watercolor and gold on paper
Measurements
10 7/8 x 7 3/8 in.
(27.6 x 18.7 cm)
Credit Line The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon B. Polsky Fund, 2002 (2002.504)
Sultan Muhammad Adil Shah
Ali Adil Shah
Since I was a slacker and didn’t post on
Valentines day I have to include some love today…The Taj Mahal was built by
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one
of the greatest examples of Muslim art in India.
Entrance building to the compound containing the Taj Mahal
mausoleum
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Photographer: Laurens Dawes
Yale University: Peabody Museum of Natural History
Rangoli isn’t actually an influence, but it is
cool to see and watch, so here’s a bit of explanation and a video to bring this
day to a close…
Rangoli is a form of sand painting decoration
that uses finely ground white powder and colors, and is commonly used outside
homes.
Grab some popcorn and
watch contemporary Artist Purvi Shah and her students create a Rangoli Sand
Painting:
Thanks very much reading!
