Intro South Asian Art and Architecture I

Undergraduate / Graduate

This core class introduces students to the visual arts of early South Asia (Paleolithic period to circa first millennium CE). During this time period, South Asia gave birth to three major world religions-Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Christianity and Islam too made it to South Asia and the arts of these religious traditions flourished in various pockets of the Indian subcontinent. In the class, we will look at paintings, buildings, and other objects that continue to beguile researchers, such as the paintings of Bhimbetka Caves (ca. 10,000 BCE); the enigmatic seals from Indus Valley (ca. 2000 BCE), and the high polish of Mauryan sculptures. The latter-half of the course is devoted to specific studies on "masterpieces" of early Indian art, such as the Buddhist stupas at Sanchi (ca. third to first cent. BCE), the extraordinary rock-cut temples of Ajanta and Ellora (fifth to thirteenth centuries), and the sizeable and distinctive temple complex of Bodh Gaya, Khajuraho, Mamallapuram, and Brihadeshwara (seventh to eleventh centuries). The course will explore many themes in the study of early South Asian art; some prominent ones are the role of politics, nature, and religion in shaping artistic practices. Conversely, we will also look at how artistic practices impacted civic institutions and religious organizations, while exploring what art can reveal about how natural resources were viewed, extracted, and preserved in early South Asia.