Ancient Art & Culture of India
INTRODUCTION OF ART & CULTURE OF INDIA
• Indian art comprises various art forms like paintings like patta chitra, madhubani, ceramics, sculpture and
textile arts such as woven silk. Indian art is acknowledged for its immense sense of design, which can be
seen in both modern and traditional forms.
• Indian art can trace its origins to antiquity. It has been influenced by cultural as well as religious elements
such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. Despite this diverse mix of religious traditions,
the major religious groupings have generally shared the dominant creative style at any given period and
place.
• Sculpture in stone and metal, primarily religious, has fared better in the Indian environment than other
media, and provides the majority of the best remnants. Many of the most important ancient findings that
aren’t carved stone originate from the nearby, drier regions rather than India itself. Grave goods, which are
the principal source of old art in other cultures, are not allowed in Indian funerary and philosophical
traditions.
• Indian art forms have a long history of following Indian faiths outside of India, with a stronghold in Tibet,
Southeast Asia, and China. Indian art has absorbed influences from Central Asia, Iran, and Europe at various
eras.
WHAT IS AN ART:
# MIMESIS: ART IS THE REPRESENTATION OR REPLICATION OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL OR
MEANINGFUL.
# EXPRESSION: ART IS AN EXPRESSION OF SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE AND EMOTIONS.
# FORMALISM: ART IS THE ARRANGEMENT OF LINES, COLOURS, SHAPES AND OTHER AESTHETIC
ELEMENTS.
WHAT IS CULTURE:
The word culture is derived from the latin term
‘cult or cults’. It means tilling or cultivating or
refining or worship. It sum it means cultivating
and refining a thing to suchextent that its end
product evokes our admiration and respect.
This is practically means a Sanskriti in Sanskrit
language.
Importance of Art in Indian Culture:
• Art has an impact on society by altering people’s minds, instilling ideals and
transmitting experiences across time and distance.
• According to studies, art has an impact on one’s core sense of self.
• Painting, sculpture, music, literature, and other forms of art are frequently
regarded as repositories of a society’s collective memory.
• In ancient India, good art symbolised the wealth of several empires.
• The majority of the artworks promote religious activity.
• Homage and respect for the learned class was expressed via art.
• Art and literature serve as a pattern for human life and civilization since they are
intensely personal while yet being broadly universal.
• Artistic and literary works allow us to travel over time, space, and culture,
allowing us to visit a time and place hundreds of years and miles away.
What are the Art and Culture of India:
Indian art comprises various art forms like paintings like patta
chitra, madhubani, ceramics, sculpture and textile arts such as
woven silk. Indian art is acknowledged for its immense sense of
design, which can be seen in both modern and traditional forms.
Indian art can trace its origins to antiquity.
Pattachitra:
Pattachitra is a traditional painting of Odisha, India. These
paintings are based on Hindu mythology and specially
inspired by Jagannath and Vaishnava sect. All colours used in
the Paintings are natural and paintings are made fully old
traditional way by Chitrakaras that is Odiya Painter.
Madhubani:
Madhubani art (originally Mithila art) is a style of painting practiced in the Mithila region
of India and Nepal. It is named after the Madhubani district of Bihar, India, which is
where it originated.[1] Jitwarpur and Ranti are the two most notable cities associated with
the tradition and evolution of Madhubani art.[1] The art was traditionally practiced by
female members.[2] Artists create these paintings using a variety of mediums, including
their own fingers, or twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks. The paint is created using
natural dyes and pigments.[3] The paintings are characterized by their eye-catching
geometrical patterns. There is ritual content for particular occasions, such as birth or
marriage,[2] and festivals, such as Holi, Surya Shasti, Kali Puja, Upanayana, and Durga
Puja.
Ceramic:
A ceramic is an inorganic non-metallic solid made up
of either metal or non-metal compounds that have
been shaped and then hardened by heating to high
temperatures.
Sculpture:
Sculpture in the Indian subcontinent, partly because of the climate of the Indian
subcontinent makes the long-term survival of organic materials difficult, essentially
consists of sculpture of stone, metal or terracotta. It is clear there was a great deal of
painting, and sculpture in wood and ivory, during these periods, but there are only a few
survivals. The main Indian religions had all, after hesitant starts, developed the use of
religious sculpture by around the start of the Common Era, and the use of stone was
becoming increasingly widespread.
Textile Art:
Textile art is an art form using textile materials as its medium. The
definition of textile art is a general term that includes fiber art,
knitwear, woven fabric, and embroidery. The possible subject
matter of textile art ranges from the representation of images and
figures to abstract shapes and patterns.
CONCLUSION:
INDIA EXEMPLIFIES A SOCIETY THAT IS MULTICULTURAL, MULTI-ETHNIC AND MULTI-
IDEOLOGICAL. MANY CULTURES CO-EXIST WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY ATTEMPTING TO
ACHIEVE UNITY AND ALSO MAINTAINING INDIVIDUALITY. INDIAN CULTURAL
HERITAGE BRINGS THE CITIZENS TOGETHER. ANCIENT SCRIPTURES LIKE GITA, VEDAS,
UPANISHADS AND YOGA PRACTICE HAVE CONTRIBUTED GREATLY BY PROVIDING
CORRECT KNOWLEDGE, HUMANE BEHAVIOR, RIGHT ACTION AND PRACTICES AS THEY
ENRICH OUR CIVILIZATION AND LEADING TO ITS DEVELOPMENT.
